Wicked Games
by Nasious Cordova
Summary: Part 3 in an alternate universe where Eli has explored forbidden love with Drew. This time around, the new niner, Zig Novak becomes a central character since he has really cool potential, but his character has gone nowhere. This storyline follows the Degrassi season 11.5 storyline, but takes place in the same timeline as Eli's Surprise Love and Back From the Dead.


**This is part 3 in an alternate universe where Eli has explored forbidden love with Drew. This time around, the new niner, Zig Novak becomes a central character since he has really cool potential, but his character has gone nowhere. This storyline follows the Degrassi season 11.5 storyline, but takes place in the same timeline as _Eli's Surprise Love_ and _Back From the Dead_, so many of the events are just a little different. Since Zig seems to be Degrassi's only skateboarder, I've also introduced a skate park friend who goes to the rebuilt rival high school, Lakehurst. **

**New to Degrassi, Zig is open-minded, narcissistic, and bored, so he treats his friends like toys in a toy box. In addition, his home life is terrible, so he does his best to stay out as much as possible. What happens when this good-looking freshman starts exploring the darker aspects of his psyche?**

***This story happen concurrent to the events of _Back From the Dead_. **

**Warning: this is a slash story, with numerous graphic man on man encounters.**

CHAPTER 1

The first day of school.

Dressed in his yellow polo shirt and tan khakis, Zig Novak stood in front of the mirror and allowed a perverse looking grin to creep slowly across his face. He knew that he looked good in his new high school uniform, and wasn't so humble that he couldn't admit it to himself. Zig was tall and slender, with a handsome face. His intense green eyes sparkled as he inspected his own reflection. Of course, as a fifteen year-old, he had a few blemishes on his cheeks—which he'd already treated—but for the most part, his skin was smooth and clear. Although he wore it in a simple, floppy style, Zig had spent nearly half an hour brushing his nearly black hair. As an avid skateboarder, he was quite agile, and in excellent physical shape, but unlike a lot of his skating peers, Zig wore clothes that fit him well to show off his fine physique. He didn't understand why so many of his friends chose to hide themselves underneath saggy pants and oversized t-shirts.

Although he knew it was not cool to be looking forward to school, Zig found himself secretly excited to be heading off to Degrassi today. Summer had been one long exercise in navigating around his volatile parents, and he was happy to have an excuse to be away from them. Naturally, the dark-haired teenager loved them, but, with the way they'd both turned his home into a battlefield over the past year and a half, he really didn't like being around them very much.

He did his best to push that feeling away.

In one way, Zig wanted to be like everyone else, and had tried hard to blend in with his classmates as much as he could. And that was no easy task. Not only was his home life a mess with his constantly arguing parents, but there was also something different inside of him. It was something elusive that he really couldn't put into words, but he didn't want to identify it with any of the labels that other kids seemed so keen to use to define themselves with.

_Why does everyone feel the need to put a name to everything? _He wondered.

Zig was willing to do or try anything, even if it was just for the experience. Privately, he liked that about himself, but he also knew that it was something he shouldn't share. He feared opening up to his friends would only alienate them. Instead, Zig put extra care into his outer appearance. Although everyone else would be dressed in the same khakis and polo shirts, Zig knew that his style would help him stand out in a way he _would_ desire.

"If you don't get a move on it, you're going to be late for your first day," the freshman heard from over his shoulder. Without realizing it, he stiffened. Glancing up, he saw his mother in the doorway. His face remained expressionless until she smiled, putting him at easy. A smile on her face obviously meant that his father was out already. Knowing that, Zig relaxed his posture. For some time, Zig's parents had been at each other's throats, and it had been a miserable summer. Now that school was back in session, he could use the excuse that he was studying, and spend his free time skating.

"I'm on my way now," he told her, with a grin.

"Take a coat," she said, "It's chilly out."

Grabbing a dark green hoodie and his skateboard, the eager teenager started downstairs for the door. Calling back, he told his mother, "See you later."

Zig stashed his board in his locker, and looked at his schedule for his first class. _Art?_ He shrugged, approvingly. _That should be interesting_, he silently mused as he started looking for his classroom. As he wandered around, he bumped into a blonde freshman. "Sorry," he apologized before asking, "Hey, do you know where the art room is?"

The girl smiled. "Are you new here too?" She asked instead of answering him. Before he had the chance to respond, she said, "You're wearing yellow, so you must be. New to Degrassi, I mean. You're a freshman, like me."

Nervously, he smiled, and mumbled, "Yeah."

With too much enthusiasm, she laughed, and told him, "Look—we're twins." He didn't react, so she explained, "Because of the shirts. We're both in yellow."

"Because we're both freshmen," he said with a matter-of-fact tone that she didn't seem to catch onto. Looking her over, he thought that she was cute enough, but there was a serious case of crazy going on in her eyes, so he told her, "Sorry, I've got to go."

As he took off, the girl followed him, so he picked up the pace, running into another confused looking blonde freshman. She seemed sweet and he wanted to talk with her, but he saw the other girl closing in. After enlisting the second blonde to get rid of the first one, he bonded with her over feeling lost here. Sadly, neither of them could help the other find their respective classes, but he did make plans to meet her at The Dot later. Going their separate ways, the freshman picked up his pace, and made it to his class just in time. Zig grinned because, in addition to yellow shirts, the art room was also filled with a number of students wearing purple and red shirts. Although he knew that upperclassmen were known for giving freshmen a hard time, he enjoyed the idea of mixing with older kids. The dark-haired teen took an empty seat next to a boy wearing a red shirt. He turned, and smiled at Zig as the bell rang.

A junior.

And he was friendly.

Zig smiled back, and said, "Hi, I'm Zig."

With a curious grin growing across his face, the slender boy cocked his head, and asked, "Zig? Interesting name. I'm Adam."

"It's good to meet you, Adam," the freshman said. That's when he noticed the LGBT rainbow button on Adam's jacket. When he looked up and caught the junior's eyes, Zig realized that he'd seen him see it. Embarrassed, Zig grinned, and muttered, "Sorry. I wasn't staring."

"Don't sweat it," Adam said. There was an easygoing, causal tone in his voice that put Zig's nerves at ease. "Degrassi is a pretty diverse school."

"My ex's best friend will probably join your club," he said, hoping to make Adam see that he wasn't as sheltered as he'd most likely sounded. Although he barely knew Tristan, and didn't really like him, Zig lied, and told the junior, "He's a cool guy. He's been out since I met him in seventh grade."

"That's cool," Adam said, shooting Zig a humorous look before scaring him by adding, "You know, LGTB isn't just for out students."

Panic flashed through Zig's eyes, and he cursed himself for having betrayed one of his private fears. Adam noticed too, and seemed to blush. Zig cursed himself again. He liked the idea of making new friends, and Adam seemed pretty cool. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate the guy on his first day.

"I mean, a number of straight kids are in the club too," Adam explained. The freshman looked relieved, and Adam smiled, adding, "Degrassi has a lot of open-minded kids sticking up for one and other."

"Sounds cool," Zig told him. Although the freshman was not the kind of guy to join things, he led Adam to believe that he was open to the idea. He didn't know why he wanted the upperclassman for a friend so badly, but he did. Although he was obviously open about his sexual orientation, Adam came off as any other guy.

Zig liked that.

Not like Tristan. Everything about that guy screamed drama queen. Although his ex girlfriend had pushed them together for friendship, Zig had always been uncomfortable. He could tell that Tristan had been unhappy being around him too. He'd rolled his eyes at everything Zig said or suggested. Where he liked to play his cards close to the vest, Tristan usually gave a bitchy glance or made snide comment that would betray his opinion.

Trying to find some common interests with his new friend, Zig asked, "So, what else are you into?" Shrugging, the other boy listed off several of his interests, which were mostly indoor activities, before asking the freshman his hobbies. Grinning wide, Zig explained several of his interests before adding, "My favorite thing is skateboarding."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"You don't like skateboarding?" He asked.

"It's not that," the older boy laughed, adding, "I've never tried."

Zig frowned, and asked, "Why not?"

"I'm not coordinated enough," Adam laughed.

Zig laughed, but before he could say anything more, the teacher, Ms. Dawes, closed the door, and started the class. Although he showed her his respect, Zig couldn't help but think of how much fun Degrassi was going to be.

"You're home awfully late," Zig heard his mother call out from the kitchen as he came in. It wasn't hard to detect the sound of concern. He cringed; afraid he was going to catch hell for staying out so late. He dropped his books and skateboard before heading in to see her. He did his best to hide his surprise at seeing his father already at the table. He'd hoped to beat the man home, and avoid the interrogation. Immediately, his father shot him a suspiciously hostile glare, and Zig looked, submissively, to the floor.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I didn't realize it was already dinner time." Without realizing it, Zig's eyes fixed on the half empty bottle of Jack on the table, and he knew that he was in for trouble.

"It's nearly six o'clock," his father growled as he sat at the table. "There's no need for you to come home so late. Do you think your mother is some kind of maid? Dinner is on this table at six, every night. She needed your help, and you were nowhere to be found. You never change, do you, Zig? You're a selfish little ingrate."

"Dad, it's not like that," the teenager protested, remembering the last time the man had called him an ingrate. After the altercation, Zig had found himself grounded for nearly a month. It had been the start of a long, hard summer. Keeping his distance, Zig told him, "I'm in high school now. I made a bunch of new friends today. After school I hung out with several of them at a coffee shop—"

"Liar!" the older man cried, looking dangerously close to lunging across the table that separated the two of them. With the sound of resentment in his tone, he accused, "You hung out at that skate park with those losers I've told you to stay away from. Are you high?"

"Dad, I don't do drugs!" He protested, without bothering to deny having spent time at the skate park. Although he'd planned to omit that part from his story, Zig wouldn't dare lie about it outright. He'd made that mistake in the past, and had spent the better part of a week in pain and fearing he'd be picked for the skins team rather than the shirts team in eighth grade gym class.

"Do you really think I'm stupid?" The man asked.

Immediately, the dark-haired teen regretted having raised his voice in self defense. Instead of defending himself further, Zig cooled his tone, and said, "I'm sorry. I'll wash up for dinner."

"Don't bother," the angry older man said. "Go to your room."

Although Zig was hungry, he didn't protest. Without another word, he quickly followed his father's orders, and went upstairs to his room. As he left, Zig's mother only looked at the table as if afraid to challenge her husband. Remembering another time when he'd worn long sleeve shirts during the hottest week of summer to hide his bruised arms, the teenager didn't blame her. Zig knew that it was best to avoid angering his father when he'd been drinking. Unfortunately, that had become more and more often lately.

Once in his room, Zig took off his school uniform, and, in just his snug white underpants, threw himself down on his bed. He tried to push away the bitter residue of his father's viciousness by thinking of all the fun he'd had starting high school today. After his last class, he'd met the blonde girl from before first period, Maya, at The Dot, and become better friends with her. After that, he'd spent hours hanging out with the guys at the skate park. Although Zig found girls like Maya and his ex, Tori, attractive, he also realized that, on some primal level, he also enjoyed looking at the other skaters while he was at the park. With all the other problems he had to face in his life, Zig really hadn't wanted to face what that might mean. Today, after having met his cool new friend, Adam, Zig started to think that exploring the other sides of his personality might not be such a bad idea. The junior was obviously gay, and he was a really cool guy. Before meeting Adam, Tristan had been the only gay kid Zig had really known. Tristan wasn't a bad kid, but he was way too campy for Zig to ever identify with or want to be around.

Before summer, his relationship with Tori had been getting more and more serious, so he'd broken things off with her. Of course, he'd realized that the biggest reason that Tori, and half the other girls he knew, liked him was because he was good-looking. Although not conceited, Zig was well aware that he had a pretty face, and nice physique. After his shower at night, he liked to stand in front of the mirror, and look at his tight muscles and faint six-pack.

Thinking of his own sexy body, he imagined that gay boys like Adam and Tristan must also find him attractive. Musing silently, he told himself that, if he met his own doppelganger, he'd definitely explore his own curiosity, and fuck his brains out. As he imagined kissing his own lips, Zig's right hand slowly explored his own erect nipples. Slowly, his hand made its way down across his flat stomach, creeping towards the waistband of his shorts. His penis was already erect and ready before his fingers even had the chance to make a fist around it. Imagining the feeling of sliding his own lips around it, Zig squeezed his fist tighter, and worked it furiously. Just as he was certain that he was ready to explode, he stopped, and squeezed the head really tight. Waves of pleasure rolled over him, but his tight grasp prevented his orgasm from erupting out.

Suddenly, he opened his fist, and a plume of semen shot out of him like an erupting volcano, spattering hot goo all over his own chest, and chin. He let out a satisfied moan, and lapped the thick mass of his seed off his lips, and into his own mouth. Realizing how perverse he was, Zig wiped the rest into his mouth too, licking his own fingers clean in the process. He laughed to himself as he slowly wondered if Adam tasted as good as he did. Although he had fine features, the older boy was attractive. Zig imagined that Adam's penis was probably larger than his own since he had two years on him. Rubbing the remainder of the quickly cooling semen on his chest around his right nipple, Zig imagined giving head to Adam.

He snickered at the irony of the situation. Earlier, he'd been bothered in thinking that Adam had been recommending he should check out the LGBT club, and now he was fantasizing sucking the guy's cock.

There was something wrong with him.

He was certain of it, but didn't waste too much time dwelling on it. Zig believed in trying everything that he was curious about, and knew that, eventually, he'd get himself into trouble. With a renewed sense of energy, he hopped up, grabbed his robe, and headed into the bathroom.

CHAPTER 2

Bored out of his skull, Zig listened to Tori and Tristan rambling on about some stupid weekly vlog that the two of them did for _West Drive_, and rolled his eyes. Zig Novak was not a fan of the show, so he really wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

_Well, almost anywhere_, he amended silently.

Sitting in the cafeteria and listening to their boring conversation was still better than being at home where he'd be listening to his father tell him what a disappointment he was. Since Tori was his girlfriend, he had to deal with not only her quirks, but also her friends. _You're only two days into your high school experience, and already making compromises to fit in,_ he thought, privately berating himself. He knew that he was lucky that he'd been able to repair their relationship at all since he had broken up with her for no good reason in the first place. At least that's how he's made it sound when they'd gotten back together. In truth, Zig had started the summer intent on hanging with the guys at the skate park, and really hadn't wanted a girlfriend standing in the way of his fun. Unfortunately, his father had gotten pissed over some remark he'd made, and Zig had spend most of his summer at home, grounded.

Anyway, Tori had bought his excuses, and accepted his apology, so they'd picked up as if nothing had ever happened. Although she'd been eager to have him back, it had surprised him. He wouldn't have been as forgiving in her position. Still, why complain? After realizing his emerging attraction for his friend, Adam, Zig had realized that it was wise to have a girlfriend to be seen with. Knowing all this, Zig had been on his best behavior to keep her happy.

And right now, that meant making nice with Tristan.

Having long been aware of his own sexual ambivalence, Zig had never really been too interested in being friends with campy Tristan. With his flamboyant bitchiness, he projected everything Zig hoped to distance himself from. He wondered how any guy could find someone like Tristan attractive. Beyond his personality, Tristan was also quite unattractive, in Zig's opinion. He had a husky build, but, even more importantly, his face reminded Zig of a comically drawn cartoon. His ginger hair and pale skin look ghastly against the yellow of his school uniform. Even before dating Tori, he'd always done his best to play nice because he didn't want to think that he was shallow enough to dislike someone just because of their looks. Zig had also heard that gay guys could pick one and other out of the crowd, so he'd intentionally kept his distance.

Still, he was asking Tori to compromise, so he needed to also.

Recently, Tori had told Zig that Tristan had been feeling left out since they hung out so often, and she was now trying to find things the three of them could do together. He knew that he had to make the effort—not only to keep Tori happy—but also because he'd sort of forced Maya into their group of friends. Knowing that Tori really didn't like the blonde girl, Zig was amused to watch the two of them try to play nice with one and other. He was also quite certain that Maya was attracted to him, so it was fun to watch her squirm when he kissed Tori in front of her. All the while, Zig would act oblivious to everything. Beyond the fact that it kept things interesting, all the drama he created helped keep his mind off his situation at home.

Sensing Zig's boredom, Tristan awkwardly suggested, "So, I was thinking that the three of us should do a routine in the talent show they're doing on Friday."

The dark-haired boy could feel the discomfort in the ginger teen's voice, and it amused him. Zig figured that Tristan probably had two reasons for wanting to get closer to him. Obviously, Tristan wanted to form a real friendship for Tori's sake, but Zig was also pretty certain that the other boy also found him attractive. Although he was typically concerned with what their peers thought, he mused over the idea of leading him on to cause tension between the two best friends. Zig doubted Tristan would dare tell Tori if her boyfriend started flirting with him, and he was tempted to see exactly how the husky teen would handle it.

A grin cracked across his face as a plan suddenly took form in his devious mind. Maybe he was the evil little bastard his father had told him he was only days earlier. Zig tried to ignore the dull ache in his shoulder as he pushed away the memory of where it had come from. Fortunately, as an avid skateboarder, the fifteen year-old could explain away bruises without spilling his guts about where the' really come from.

He hated dwelling on the afterschool special that his home life had become, giving him another good reason to cause mischief between his friends. Zig was not a victim. Besides, he realized that, more times than not, it was probably his own big mouth that got him in trouble.

While Zig had mused through his private thoughts inside his head, he'd also, halfheartedly, agreed to do an act in the silly talent show Tristan had been rambling on about. Although both Tristan and Tori seemed thrilled by the idea, Zig shuddered at the thought of being in the middle of some camp stage show. Even though he was dating Tori, he wondered if everyone else would wonder if he was gay too. While Zig wondered how he could worm out before the actual show, Adam Torres walked into the cafeteria, and headed up to the counter.

A grin crept across Zig's face.

Although he'd gotten back together with Tori, Zig still fantasized about Adam on a near daily basis. In his dreams, Adam had seduced and made love to him repeatedly, taking charge and dominating Zig each time. "I'm going to get a refill," he announced, interrupting Tristan's explanation of the stage act he had planned. Without waiting for either of them to respond, Zig hopped up, and headed over to the counter. He pretended to not see Adam as he waited for his turn.

"Zig," Adam said, surprised to see the dark-haired freshman, "What are you up to?"

Feigning surprise, Zig grinned, and said, "Hey, Adam. I'm just hanging out with my girlfriend and her friend." He gestured toward Tori and Tristan.

Adam glanced over, and told him, "She's cute."

Noticing that the older boy's demeanor was lacked his typical lightheartedness, Zig furrowed his brow, and asked, "Dude, is everything alright?"

Adam shrugged, and answered, "I'm fine. It's just—this is going to sound like a bad soap opera plot—but my best friend's girlfriend has returned from the grave, and she's up to something."

Wondering if he was practicing a bit for his radio show, the freshman was ready to laugh, but stopped when he realized that Adam was being serious. Of course, Zig figured that the friend Adam was referring to was unbalanced senior, Eli Goldsworthy, really sparking his interest. Although Zig had never actually talked to the good-looking senior, he'd heard the rumors of how Eli had gone off the rails, crashing his black hearse into a brick wall before having an emotional breakdown onstage, in front of the whole student body during his play. He'd even torched a copy of the script for the play he'd been performing without Simpson blowing his top over it. Eli had become a legend around school, and Zig was actually sad that he hadn't been here to see it. The younger student had seen Eli riding his bike at the skate park on a number of occasions, and could barely picture it. The boy he'd seen there was always so quite, and passive.

"It does sound like a soap opera," Zig said, wondering how the girl had come back from the grave* (*see the story _Back From the Dead_ for details). Instead of asking for a lengthy explanation, Zig asked, "Why do you think she's up to something?"

"It's just a feeling I get," Adam explained before telling the younger teen, "I'm typically a good judge of character, and I can tell there's something more than a little off about her."

Suddenly self-conscious, Zig did his best to not let his expression drop. He'd had a number of casual conversations with Adam, all the while picturing the junior's naked body, and imagining all the sexually charged things he wanted to do with him. He pushed away the sudden urge he had to ask Adam, "_If you_ _know people so well, do you_ _know how badly I want to suck your cock?"_ He frowned instead, and asked, "What are you going to do about her?"

"Nothing," the older boy confessed. "I can just be there for my friend, I guess."

"You seem like a good guy to have watching your back," Zig told him, fully aware of the possible double meaning that Adam could take from his words. Just to drive the idea home, Zig slyly added, "I wouldn't mind having you on my back."

He grinned, and Adam shot him a curious look.

"Thanks," Adam said, wondering if his new friend realized how badly he'd butchered the phrase he'd been trying to use. Getting his latte, he smiled, and told Zig, "Well, back to the DJ booth."

Zig nodded in a friendly gesture, and watched as the other boy walked away. As his eyes followed Adam, Zig noticed Tristan curiously watching him. He grinned at the ginger boy, as if having been caught catching out a girl. Zig did his best to hold back his laughter when Tristan reacted by raising his eyebrows in surprise.

_Oh, this is going to be fun._

After school, Zig hung around with Tristan and Tori, practicing for the talent show that he really didn't want to take part in. Although his heart wasn't in it, he figured that it was still better than dealing with being at home. Besides, Zig made it more fun by messing with Tristan's head. The husky kid would have to be a complete fool if he hadn't understood some of Zig's suggestive remarks. Honestly, Zig didn't find Tristan even slightly attractive; however, he enjoyed knowing that, by flirting with him, he was putting the guy in a tight spot.

"Listen, I've got to run," he said, putting his hands on Tristan's hips, and pressing his body up against him to reach and kiss Tori's cheek. He'd purposely positioned the other boy between the two of them just so that he could do this to him.

"She frowned, and asked, "Really? Why?"

"I told a classmate that I'd share my notes her," he explained.

Hearing that it was a female classmate, Tori furrowed her brow, and asked, "Who?"

Zig smiled innocently. "Maya," he answered before adding, "We're in Biology together."

The expression on her face faded, making him want to grin, but he concealed it. His intention had been to strike at her jealousy. Trying to act mature, Tori quickly plastered a phony smile on her face, and said, "Oh? That's nice. I like her—Maya. She's really sweet, right, Tristan?"

Still surprised by the feeling of Zig's crotch pushed so firmly up against his ass, Tristan absently asked, "Huh?" before adding, "Oh, yeah. Cute little thing, but no fashion sense."

Without Tori noticing, Zig moved his hands off Tristan's hips, resting them on his pelvis at either side of his crotch. While Tristan talked, Zig gently pulled him closer. All the while, Zig never looked away from his girlfriend. Knowing how uncomfortable the other boy was excited him, and the blood started to rush to his loins. Certain that Tristan could feel his hardening member, Zig kissed Tori on the cheek again, and said, "Well I'll catch you two later."

After he was gone, Tori, let out a frustrated sigh, muttering, "Notes on biology better be all he gives her."

Still troubled by having felt Zig's penis harden against him, Tristan glanced over, rolling his eyes at his BFF's jealousy before quipping, "I don't think you have anything to worry about there."

Misunderstanding, she smiled, saying, "Oh, Tris, you're so sweet."

Realizing that he'd said it aloud, he just smiled, keeping his real feelings to himself. Earlier in the cafeteria, he'd come to the conclusion that Zig batted for his team. Naturally, Tristan knew that Tori had nothing to worry about where it came to Zig cheating with Maya, but he'd never hurt her by sharing his suspicions unless she came right out and asked. Being gay himself, Tristan could see all the signs and Zig was suddenly setting off his gaydar left and right. Oddly, he'd never realized that Zig was gay while they'd been in junior high.

Although handsome, in junior high, Zig had come off as quite shy. He'd never even spoken to Tristan until he'd started dating Tori, and even then, he'd stammered on his words. Maybe that had been a clue, and he'd missed it. Tristan thought that he had pretty good gaydar, and had quickly taken notice when Zig made a number of sexually charged remarks. Each time, he'd locked eyes with him, and flashed that slightly perverse grin of his. Of course, Tristan found it difficult to ignore because Zig Novak was fucking hot.

Tristan hadn't been able to concentrate on anything else after he'd noticed Zig checking out that upperclassman' ass. Zig knew he'd caught him, but hadn't said anything about it. Instead, while they'd been alone, he'd flashed Tristan a glimpse of his flat stomach as he'd lifted his shirt, gently brushing his snail trail. Seeing Zig's beautifully formed body embarrassed the chunky teen over his own, but he hadn't been able to look away. He'd expected a sarcastic remark when the dark-haired boy had caught him looking, but instead he'd only gotten another grin.

The thought of seeing Zig naked sent a thrill down Tristan's spine, and the feel of his hard on had nearly given Tristan one in return. It had felt so large against him, and now all he could do was imagine what it looked like. He immediately chided himself for being such a crappy friend. Fantasizing about Zig was the last thing he should be doing, but the chubby teenager couldn't help himself.

"Tristan?" He heard Tori's concerned voice ask, pulling him out of his train of thoughts. Looking at her, he realized that her eyes were on his crotch, and he instantly felt why. Blushing he put his hands over himself, and she started laughing, blissfully unaware that it had been the thought of her boyfriend's naked body that had caused the erection.

Zig casually strode into the library, and looked around until he finally found Maya Matlin thumbing through books in the research aisle. Seeing him approach, she pushed the book she was looking at back into the row. Taking the notes, she smiled, and told him, "Thanks, you're a life saver. I'll have these back for you before first period tomorrow. I totally spaced in class."

"No problem," he said, flashing a friendly grin.

When he saw her blush, his grin deepened. He could tell that she liked him. Just like Tristan, playing to see how far he could push her promised to offer him a bit of amusement. Although all the kids at Degrassi were potential toys in a human toy box, his friends would be the most amusing ones to start with.

Just like Eli Goldsworthy had done with his friends.

Naturally, Zig knew that Maya was too sweet to chase a guy that already had a boyfriend, but, like Tristan, he guessed that she would never dare tell Tori. Chuckling to himself, Zig planned to put that theory to the test.

Grinning again, he told her, "It's good to have you owe me one." He put a mischievous twinkle in his eye making his grin seem even more flirtatious.

Looking just a bit uneasy, Maya grinned back before looking at the floor. She really liked Zig, and wished that he wasn't going out with Tori. She could tell he liked her too. She could see it in his eyes. Crawling into his web, she looked back up, and jokingly asked, "Should I be nervous?"

He raised his eyebrows, moved so that her back was up against the book shelf, and put one arm on either side of her. Trapped, Maya laughed at him. His face cracked into a grin, and he told her, "Only if the idea of kissing me makes you nervous. Just don't tell Tori."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and he started laughing.

"I was kidding," he laughed. Although he'd put laughter in his tone, he'd been certain to make it sound as if he was covering hurt feelings. Looking at her with vulnerability, he asked, "Do you think I'm a jerk like that?"

Stammering, she told him, "Of course not."

Without hesitating, he leaned in, and kissed her. Maya's lips were soft, and not too different than Tori's. They were also sweet, and tasted like cherry. He nearly laughed again just thinking of how it figured. Maya was one of those sweeter than sweet girls who would wear flavored lip-gloss.

"Zig!" She cried, "What are you doing? Anyone could have seen that!"

"I couldn't help myself," he confessed. With more well placed vulnerability, he explained, "I know I'm with Tori, but I really like you."

"I like you too, but I am friends with Tori," she said, as if he needed reminding. "What is she found out?"

He laughed nervously, and asked, "Are you going to tell her?"

"Do I look like I have a death wish?" She asked in return.

Suddenly, the whispered sounds of two approaching upperclassmen distracted her focus from Zig, and they both looked over to see who it was. The dark-haired freshman was surprised to witness Maya's older sister, Katie, playfully drag Owen Milligan into the aisle. Although he was Tristan's brother, Zig really only knew Owen by his reputation as a loudmouth and homophobic troublemaker. Tristan had made several remarks leading Zig to believe that Owen was embarrassed to be seen with him. He really couldn't blame Owen there. Both physically, and personality wise, Owen and Tristan couldn't have been more dissimilar. Looking at the senior's muscular physique, Zig imagined that he'd probably like being around Tristan more if he at least looked more like his older brother.

Owen wasn't just hot—he was fucking hot.

As they approached, Zig moved away from Maya, although he was certain that her sister had already seen their compromising position. Judging by the look of embarrassment on Katie's face, the senior hadn't been expecting to find anyone back there, much less her younger sister. Owen was surprised too, but his face showed much more amusement than embarrassment.

Zig liked him more than Tristan already.

Seeing Katie, Maya stepped a few more paces away from Zig. If adding distance between them hadn't made her look guilty, the look on her face of having been caught with her hand in the cookie jar certainly did. Of course, Zig figured that Maya had mentioned to Katie that she liked him before he'd decided to give it another go with Tori. The way Maya had acted really made her look guilty.

Again Zig was amused.

Today was shaping up to be quite a rewarding day for the freshman.

Although both sisters were wrought with embarrassment, it was Maya who spoke up first, saying, "Zig and I were just talking."

"Smooth," Zig muttered, running his fingers through his floppy mass of hair.

"Well, this isn't what it looks like with Owen," Katie said, ignoring that her little sister looked super guilty. "We were just coming back here so that we could some gossip."

Owen rolled his eyes, and told the two freshmen, "Oh, sure. Gossip. That was exactly what I came back here for."

The wry sarcasm was heavy in his voice, encouraging a perverse grin to crack across Zig's face. Knowing the dirty things that were probably running through Zig's head, Owen laughed. Seeing that he had an audience, Zig said, "That's cool. We were only talking too." Like Owen, he too put the sound of sarcasm into his voice, suggesting that he and Maya had been doing a lot more than having a stimulating conversation. Maya shrank, warming his heart further. He'd expected to make his blonde friend squirm around Tori, but Katie was a bonus. Just to have more fun, he put his arm around her, and reassuringly told her, "Don't worry, Maya. Your sister won't tell anyone."

Katie looked at the embarrassed blonde with concern.

"Well, I've got to run," Zig said. He picked up his backpack, and without waiting, left. As he started for the exit, he could hear his friend trying to tell her sister that Zig had a girlfriend, and he'd just been goofing around. Owen made some smartass remark, but he really didn't hear it because he was already out the door by that point. He was sure that Maya would be pissed at him the next time he saw her, but she'd get over it fast. She was too nice to hold a grudge.

At his locker, Zig grabbed his board as he dropped off his books. The great side effect of avoiding going home was the fact that he did his homework before leaving for the day.

Detention didn't hurt either.

Either way, he was leaving with only his skateboard, and that Zig carried that like a badge of honor. He liked the other kids knowing that he was a skater, and wished that Simpson would let him carry it to class with him. Once he hit the door, Zig hopped on his board, performed a flying jump down the stairs, and crossed the parking lot. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught someone waving to him, so he looked to see who it was. Usually Zig was pretty skilled on his board, but, seeing the good-looking Goth kid Adam was standing with grabbed his attention.

_Eli Goldsworthy._

Less than an hour earlier, he'd been thinking of the guyliner wearing senior. Because of his own dark hair, several of Zig's peers had compared him to Eli. The comparison had brought a grin to narcissistic freshman's face because he found Eli quite attractive. Although Eli's erratic behavior had made him exciting to Zig, he knew the guy wasn't considered popular among the general student population. Still, that didn't really bother him. Seeing the way a number of kids looked at Goldsworthy with apprehension, Zig had actually flirted with the idea of going Goth himself, but, as of yet, he hadn't purchased any guyliner or skinny jeans of his own. He wondered how Mrs. Mainstream would react to having her boyfriend go punk.

He laughed to himself.

Naturally, his concentration was now off, throwing the freshman off guard. He lost his balance, and went flying off his board. Realizing that he was heading for a spill, Zig put his elbows up, breaking his fall before he rolled over on his side. Both Adam and Eli ran over to him.

"Zig, you're bleeding. Are you alright?" Adam asked as he helped his younger friend up.

Although he'd torn his favorite green hoodie, Zig's pride was hurt more than his body. He looked down at his palms, and saw that he'd skinned his left hand. The scrape was bleeding, but only a bit. He'd done a lot worse in the past. Smiling through his embarrassment, Zig tried to shrug, and said, "It's just a scratch. I'm fine."

"Dude, that was quite a spill," Eli said, handing Zig his board. There had been a measured sense of admiration in the dark-haired senior's voice. While Adam had been helping Zig to his feet, Eli had chased down his board before it had the chance to roll under someone's tire.

Although embarrassed to fall down in front of two people he wanted to impress, Zig was pleased to hear the tone in Eli's voice. Looking into his intense green eyes, Zig immediately understood how the pale kid had been able to pull everyone into his web. He was gorgeous. Zig also admired him for the decidedly insane things he'd done. He couldn't understand how this wasn't the most popular guy in school.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he took the skateboard from Eli. Brushing away the embarrassment of his bruised ego, Zig told him, "I'm used to a few cuts and scratches."

Doing his best to not seem like he was staring, Zig wondered if Adam had a crush on his hot friend. Judging by the things people said about the unbalanced kid, Zig could see him getting off on the idea, just like he himself got off on the idea of Tristan crushing on him. Of course, Eli probably wasn't as sexually ambiguous as he was.

_Pity_, he silently mused as he picked at the fresh hole in the elbow of his hoodie.

"If that had been me, I probably would have broken my leg," the Goth senior told him. His beautiful lips formed a crooked grin, and his eyes connected with Zig's.

Suddenly, the freshman felt more at ease.

Yes—he still admired Eli, however, looking into his eyes, the younger teen recognized an echo of himself. Unable to help it, Zig allowed a grin to crack his face, and, said, "As long as I don't break anything, I'm cool. I kinda like the pain anyway."

A grin cracked Eli's lips, and he asked, "At least when you're feeling pain, you're feeling something, right?"

"My thoughts exactly," Zig replied, pressing the fingers of his right hand into the scrape. With another grin, he added, "It reminds me that I'm still alive."

Adam shook his head in disapproval.

With an expression mocking his amusement, Eli frowned. "What?" he asked.

"Just what I need," the light-haired boy replied. Rolling his eyes he added, "Another damaged friend to worry about."

"What can I say?" Eli asked, shooting Zig a playful glance, "You're a magnet for guys like us."

Zig was sure of it now. He could see it in the other teen's eyes. Eli was not straight as an arrow either. A tingle of excitement crept up through his spine as he felt his world opening up further. Where he did not identify with Tristan, he did see bits of himself in guys like Adam and Eli. They were cool, and just a bit dangerous. Most importantly, they weren't campy, or obvious. Hell, Zig would have never guessed that Adam was gay if he hadn't seen his rainbow button.

Like Zig himself.

"Lucky me," Adam muttered before turning back to Zig, asking, "So, what are you up to?"

Shrugging casually, Zig told him, "I don't know. I was thinking of skating over to the park. Maybe see what's going on. How about you guys?"

"Family dinner night," Adam said, rolling his eyes. "I think Drew has practice, but at least Eli is coming over, so I won't have to sit through it alone."

Eli looked sheepish, as if he was guilty over the idea of spending the evening with his friend's family, and Zig wondered if the two boys were engaged in a secret affair. With Eli's history, Zig figured that Adam's family probably wouldn't approve of a romantic relationship between the two friends. And then there was Adam's older brother Drew. From what he'd heard, the guy had killed a drug dealer that had been attacking a girl. He surely wasn't the kind of guy Eli wanted to piss off.

"Sounds like a blast," Zig said with wry sarcasm apparent in his tone before betraying himself more than he'd wanted to, adding, "Hide the scotch. Sorry, that's my house."

It had been said with humor, but Zig immediately cursed himself for having tipped his cards. Fortunately, they both just laughed. After they went their separate ways, Zig continued on to the skate park. It was getting pretty late, so he assumed that most normal kids would be heading home by now. Still, there was always someone around to skate with. When he got there, he found only three other guys skateboarding or hanging out.

He frowned.

_Oh well_, he thought, _At least I'm not totally alone_. There was nothing sadder than hanging out here totally alone. Of course, he had done it in the past, and surely would again in the future. When he wanted to skate or practice new tricks, there was little that could stop him.

Zig recognized all three of the guys. Two of them went to Degrassi, but the third kid, Cutter, went to Lakehurst. Cutter was also the only one actually skateboarding. The other two guys were sitting on a bench watching him while passing a joint back and forth. Not a pot smoker himself, Zig decided to avoid them, and smiled at Cutter. He was pretty friendly, and grinned back. Zig had skated with the Lakehurst student several times in the past, and he had mad skills on his board. He was tall and quite slender with shoulder length, dirty blonde hair that often stuck to his sweaty face when he skated. In between tricks, Cutter had a habit of pulling his hair back before taking off again. Zig had never asked him, but he'd guessed the teen was a sophomore, or junior at his school.

As much as he enjoyed the older boy's attention, Zig also enjoyed watching him. Cutter was very graceful on his board, as if it was an extension of his body. Although Zig fell a couple times, the other boy never lost his balance, or faltered in any way. Zig was quite impressed, and pushed himself to skate harder. After seeing who could do higher jumps, and doing several other tricks for one and other, Zig stopped to catch his breath.

Realizing that it was just the two of them now, Zig wiped sweat off his face, and told him, "It looks like the stoners got bored watching us."

Cutter glanced over to see the bench was now empty before his icy blue eyes returned their focus on the younger boy. Absently, he licked at his lips as he looked over Zig's beautiful physique. He only realized how provocatively he was staring when he glanced back into his face, and Zig's curious green eyes met his. His face betrayed his embarrassment as his cheeks burned with a rose colored glow.

The corners of Zig's mouth turned upwards as his face broke into a grin. Seeing the curiosity in his inviting grin, Cutter pushed his long hair back, and grinned back at him. As he had while they'd been skating, Cutter took the lead, and slyly told him, "Dude, I never get tired watching guys skateboarding."

Without thinking, Zig bit at his lower lip, and told him, "Yeah, me too."

"Wow, we both sounded pretty gay right there, huh?" The blonde asked his new friend.

Zig shrugged. "Whatever," he said. Feeling a rush of excitement, he told the other boy, "There's no one around, so I think that means it doesn't count."

Cutter grinned, and asked, "Is that how it works?"

Without answering, Zig grinned back, and instead asked, "So, you go to Lakehurst, right?"

Nodding, Cutter answered, "I went to Degrassi freshman year, but transferred over once it reopened. I'm a junior. I take it you go to Degrassi?"

"Freshman," Zig confirmed.

The older boy peeled off his sweat soaked t-shirt, and ran his hand over his wet chest, stopping at his left nipple. Letting it slide between his index and middle fingers, Cutter massaged his hand gently over his breast. Zig's eyes met his, and he bit at his lower lip again. The dark-haired fifteen year-old didn't need a formal invitation. He rushed in on Cutter, locking mouths with him. Within seconds their tongues were engaged in an erotic dance that made the blood flow directly to Zig's loins, tightening the front of his khakis as his penis grew. Exploring Cutter's body with his hands, Zig discovered that the taste of his lips had done the same for his friend's penis.

"I want you so fucking bad, dude," Cutter muttered into Zig's ear before moving his lips down to his neck. As if he needed to entice the dark-haired skater, the older boy implored, "Come on, let's go into the pipe."

Zig held on, and Cutter lifted him up. Zig sucked and bit at the blonde's neck as he carried him to the giant sewer pipe the kids usually skated through. Dusk was quickly stealing the remaining light and stretching the shadows, so the pipe had become enveloped in darkness. Still, there was enough light coming in so that Zig could admire Cutter's amazing body as he pulled the rest of his clothes off. It didn't take more than a second for Zig to follow suit. Within moments, their clothes were mixed up in a heap, and Cutter was on his knees in front of the dark-haired freshman. As if quite experienced at it, the older boy took Zig's erect penis into his mouth, running his tongue around the head before engulfing the full length of it. Although most guys would be in shock having sex for the first time, Zig struggled to stay fully aware of what his lover was doing so that he could copy him when he got his chance. Cutter kept his mouth busy servicing Zig's penis, and used his hands to explore the rest of his body. While one hand never left his chest, the other hand started off squeezing Zig's balls before traveling to his tight, virgin asshole. Cutter spit on his fingers, and then started probing the puckered hole with his wet index finger.

Feeling the penetration, Zig let out a moan. He'd never felt so good, and begged for more. Sure, he'd masturbated thinking of Tori, Maya, and even Adam Torres in the past, but, right now, he'd never wanted anyone more than he wanted this blonde skater. In all the times the two had skated together, he'd never imagined that he'd be the one he'd surrender his virginity to. At this moment, Zig abandoned any remaining concern he may have had over labels, and accepted himself as just a horny teenager.

Cutter pulled his finger out, and then inserted both his index and middle fingers. With two fingers deep in Zig's ass, he drove the length of the younger boy's penis into his mouth, pressing his chin into his balls. Feverishly, Zig moaned again while pulling at Cutter's long hair. Unable to contain himself, Zig exploded directly down Cutter's throat. When his orgasm had finished, the older boy released his hold on Zig's ass, finally allowing him out of his mouth. Immediately, he was back on his feet, kissing Zig. As their tongues danced together, the dark-haired skater reached down, and took hold of his lover's penis. It was hard as a rock, and much thicker around than his.

Turning himself around, Zig implored the other boy, "Fuck me, dude."

"Zig, It's gonna hurt the first time," Cutter said, cautioning him.

"I don't care if it hurts," he swore, still overcome with desire. "I just want to feel you inside me."

Horny as he was, Cutter didn't need much convincing. Without further hesitation, he spit into his hand, and rubbed it around Zig's tender asshole. The younger boy felt the bulbous head of Cutter's penis as it slipped into him. It did hurt. As Cutter slowly shoved more and more of himself inside, Zig was certain that he was going to rip him in half. Still, he had no intention of asking him to stop. Feeling him tense up, the older teen asked several times if Zig was alright, but he kept telling him to continue.

After several minutes, Cutter whispered, "Zig, I'm all the way inside you. How does it feel?"

"Oh, god, man," he moaned, "I don't know if it hurts or if it feels good."

Cutter wrapped his arms, lovingly, around Zig's body, pulling him close as he could. When Zig let out a labored chuckle, Cutter felt a bit of relief, and chuckled too. Quietly, Zig whispered that he was ready. Slowly, the older boy started pumping himself in and out while massaging Zig's nipples. Again, he asked, "Baby, how does it feel?"

Barely able to catch his breath, Zig moaned, "Amazing, don't stop."

Exploring his lover's body with his hands, Cutter reached down, and found that Zig's penis was hard again. This kid was really turned on, so he whispered into his ear, "You know, I swallowed you. It was at the back of my throat when you came, but I would have swallowed it anyway."

Hearing Cutter tell him that he wanted him that passionately, Zig felt another wave of excitement surge through him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "I want to know how you taste too," he moaned back.

And hearing that was enough. Cutter couldn't hold himself, exploding deep inside Zig's ass. He groaned loud, shoving himself harder and harder against his lover as several waves of his orgasm rolled over him. Meanwhile, the feeling of his lover's penis pumping his semen out made Zig explode a second time, spattering the load all over the cement pipe and their discarded clothes. Unable to control himself, Zig cried out in ecstasy too. The older boy pulled himself out, spun Zig around, and, again, started kissing him.

Cutter moved his mouth down, and started biting at his tender neck, but Zig pulled back, whispering, "Not on the neck. I have a girlfriend." Zig guided his head down to his breast, and Cutter continued to suck at the underside of it.

Nearly an hour later, Zig finally got home. Hoping to be missed by his parents' watchful eyes, he quickly made his way across the room and to the stairs. Although a normal teenager would have been terrified that his parents would somehow know what he'd been up to, Zig was not. He'd become a master of hiding his emotions behind an expressionless mask of innocence. He mostly wanted to avoid them because he wanted to be alone and think about what he'd just done. Images of Cutter's naked body flooded through his head, exciting him again. He already felt the blood flowing to his loins, and he really wanted to do something about it.

"Zig, is that you?" His mother called out from the kitchen.

_Damn!_ He silently cursed before saying, "Yeah. I had dinner at Tristan's because we were working on that civics project I told you about."

He was halfway up the stairs when she came around the corner. "I figured you had, but next time call and tell us," she said in a gentle enough tone. Mrs. Novak knew that her son would do anything to avoid being around his father, so she'd lied, and told him that Zig had called about eating at a friend's house. He'd already passed out for the evening, so Zig had nothing to worry about. Noticing the mess all over his pants, she furrowed her brow, and asked, "What is that on your pants?"

_Shit_, he thought to himself. He'd noticed the mess when he'd gotten dressed, and had hoped to sneak past unnoticed. Where any other kid would have betrayed himself by blushing or stammering, Zig only rolled his eyes. "Tristan's mom must think I'm the biggest klutz," he lied with just a hint of self-debasing amusement in his tone. "I spilled gravy all over my lap at dinner."

Amazed, she asked, "And how is it that someone as clumsy as you can be so graceful on a skateboard?"

"It's a gift, I suppose," he shrugged with an easygoing grin on his face.

She shook her head, and laughed. "Treat them with stain stick before throwing them in the hamper," she said, releasing him to go.

He nodded, and continued up the stairs. Once inside his bedroom, Zig looked at himself in the mirror as he undressed. Naked, he saw the hickeys Cutter had left on his chest, and grinned. He'd left a big hickey on Cutter's chest in return. After dumping his clothes in the hamper, he put on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt before sprawling out on his bed. He was sticky from all the sweat, but he really didn't want to shower because Cutter's scent was still all over him. Feeling his left nipple, he thought about the purple bruise that would form as the love bite healed, and his right hand drifted toward his waiting erection.

CHAPTER 3

"I don't want to go to the movies," Tristan whined. Leave it up to the one with a boyfriend to suggest an activity done in the dark. Sometimes Tori could be quite thoughtless. Continuing to complain, he told her, "Movies are for dates. I feel like a third wheel going with you guys."

_Which is_ _exactly why you're supposed to bow out,_ she thought privately. Although she wanted to roll her eyes, she resisted. "Well, what else is there that the three of us can do?" Tori asked. Truth be told, she really wanted to just be alone with her boyfriend, but Tristan was so self-centered that he couldn't take a hint.

The aggravation was apparent in her voice, but Zig pretended he couldn't hear it. It had been only two days since he'd lost his virginity, and he'd really wanted to spend the afternoon at the skate park, in hopes of seeing the Lakehurst student again, but his girlfriend had other plans for him. Earlier in the week, Tori had made it clear that she expected to go on a date Saturday night, so he'd casually mentioned that he really wanted to go to the movies over the weekend. If he couldn't have the kind of fun he wanted to have, Zig had quickly decide to manipulate his two friends into providing a different kind of entertainment for him. Of course, Tori had been the predictable creature he'd expected, so, when he'd asked what she wanted to do for their Saturday night, she'd thrown out the suggestion of a movie as if it was her own. Now she'd feel like the bad guy if she said she wanted to be alone with him, and Tristan would look like a jackass if he didn't back out. From his point of view, Zig would win either way. Standing behind his two friends, Zig didn't have to worry about either of them seeing his amusement.

"I guess that new Sandler film sounds funny," Tristan conceded, rewarding Zig in the direction that promised to offer him the greatest amount of fun. He glanced over at Tori, and asked, "We could see that?"

Before Tori could shoot the idea down, Zig put a hand on each of their shoulders, poked his head between them, and enthusiastically said, "Sounds good to me." Suggestively, he rubbed his hand down Tristan's arm, gently squeezing his bicep, and told him, "Great idea, Tristan. I've been looking forward to seeing that one." Almost suggestively, he added, "It's like you can read my mind."

The pudgy teen's eyes bulged, and he hoped that Tori hadn't noticed. Zig's recent attention had really started to concern him. As cute as Zig was, Tristan would never imagine pursuing his best friend's boyfriend. While they had been broken up, Zig had started getting close to that sweet Maya girl from music class, and Tori had become her instant enemy. Even now, although she'd been responsible for getting the two of them back together, Tori was suspect and often two faced with Maya. Knowing Tori's vindictive streak as well as he did, Tristan didn't even want to share his suspicions that Zig might be secretly gay. She was definitely the type to hold it against him for having pointed it out. He sighed at the irony of the only guy showing him attention was the one guy he could never pursue.

It wasn't fair.

"So, then it's a plan?" He asked, carefully glancing over at his BFF. The apprehension was apparent in his voice.

"Sounds like it," Tori said. The aggravation was apparent in her voice.

"Then let's get going," Zig said, sounding much more eager than either of them. He knew that both of them were displeased, but that was exactly what he wanted. Pretending that he was blissfully unaware, Zig grinned.

"I'll be right back," Tristan whispered as he got up to make his way out of the theater. He'd expected Tori to sit in middle seat, not Zig. He was sure now that the cute brunette was flirting with him because of the way he'd played footsies with him through the film so far. Could he really be so confident? Or was Zig hoping Tori would catch him? Trying to understand how Zig's mind worked, Tristan theorized that the dark-haired boy was struggling to come out, and didn't know how to do it. He figured that Zig's subconscious wanted to be caught so that he'd be forced out. Tristan felt for him, but not at the expense of his own relationship with his best friend.

As he started to leave, Zig grabbed his arm, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," he whispered back, glancing at Zig's hand around his wrist.

"Hang on," the good-looking teen said, "I've got to go too. I'll go with you."

Zig looked over at Tori, and told her that he was going to run to the bathroom. She didn't care because Tristan tagging along had already ruined the afternoon for her. Although he pretended to be oblivious, Zig knew that she was bent out of shape, and was quite amused. He also knew that Tristan was uncomfortable, making him twice as happy. People were so predictable. They'd both reacted exactly as he'd anticipated.

_Now to up the ante_, he silently mused.

Following the ginger teen into the bathroom, Zig walked up to the closest urinal, unzipped, and looked over at him. The discomfort was apparent on Tristan's face, but, from behind his innocent mask, Zig pretended to not understand why.

"Are you alright?" He asked, glancing down at his friend's penis as he peed. It was small, with ginger pubes around it adding to the paleness of it. _Unimpressive compared to Cutter's_, he mused to himself. Of course, he also had no intent on letting it go anywhere near where the good-looking skater's had been. Looking back up at Tristan's face, Zig flashed a perverted looking grin.

Finally tired of the games, Tristan pulled his penis back into his pants, and asked, "Zig, what's your deal? I saw you checking out that kid the other day in the caf, and just now you were totally staring at my thing."

Zig grinned. "Do you think I'm hot, Tristan?" He asked instead. In an intentionally flirtatious move, he lifted his shirt, teasingly flashing his flat stomach. Letting go of his penis, Zig caressed up to his chest in the hopes of attracting the other boy's eyes. Seeing the horrified look that filled them, he raised his eyebrows, and deepened his grin.

"What?" Tristan asked in surprise.

"Dude, you can't tell me you haven't wanted to check me out," he said casually. Realizing that someone could walk in on them at any moment excited Zig. Just thinking of it had hardened him to a semi erect state. When Tristan's mouth dropped open, Zig asked him, "I saw yours, aren't you even going to look at mine? I've been told it's quite impressive."

_Told by whom?_ Tristan silently wondered. Resisting the urge to ask, Tristan said, "Put it away! I don't want to see it."

"Your loss," he said, flushing his urinal. Chuckling, he zipped up, and walked over to the sink.

Although the handsome teen acted as if nothing had happened, Tristan looked aghast. "What about Tori?" He asked. "You know—your girlfriend?"

"What about her?" Zig asked.

"Aren't you afraid I'm going to tell her that you're gay?" The pudgy boy asked.

Without warning, Zig leaned in, and kissed Tristan on his mouth. In shock, he just stood there, unable to react. Tristan had never been kissed before. Zig's warm lips felt good against his, although he was torn. After a moment, he conceded defeat, and instinctively reached up, pulling Zig closer. Feeling Tristan respond to him, Zig kissed him more passionately. Within seconds of Tristan's surrender, Zig moved his mouth to the pudgy boy's neck, and started sucking. Tristan wrapped his hands around his head, stroking his soft hair as he bit at his flesh. It felt so good that he never wanted Zig to stop.

_Oh, god this is wrong!_ He told himself. This guy was his best friend's boyfriend. No matter how tempting he was, Zig Novak was off limits, and he needed to put a stop to this. _Still, the feeling of his mouth on my neck_… he thought, drifting back under the handsome boy's spell. _No!_ He resolved, pushing at Zig's soft skin.

With anguish in his tone, Tristan moaned, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but, Zig, you've got to stop." When the handsome teenager released him, Tristan threw his hand over his mouth in disbelief, and muttered, "I can't believe you just did that." He wasn't sure what he found more shocking—Zig being gay, or the fact that he'd drawn him directly into the middle of his drama.

Although he was nearly overcome with the urge to wash his mouth out, Zig flashed another playfully perverse grin, and asked, "You want to go into one of the stalls?" Nothing on his face betrayed the fact that Zig was utterly repulsed to swap spit with the ginger boy. Instead, he'd frozen his beautiful face with a grin that threatened to turn to laughter at any moment.

Tristan's jaw dropped, and he cried, "No!"

"Come on, dude, I'll suck your cock," Zig offered as he pushed the nearest door open. Tristan's eyes grew, and Zig realized that he was considering it, so he added, "I'm quite good at it." Numbly, the ginger teen stepped toward the stall, and, without betraying his sense of surprise, Zig wondered if he'd pushed too far. Tristan was supposed to decline the offer. Although he was repulsed by the idea of giving Tristan head, he resolved to go through with it.

Stopping himself, Tristan asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Zig shrugged, and asked, "Are you going to tell Tori you kissed me?"

"You kissed me!" Tristan cried.

"And you kissed me back," Zig reminded him. "Do you really think that will matter to Tori?"

"This is just a game to you, isn't it?" Tristan gasped. Suddenly, he realized that this was all some kind of twisted fun for the good-looking teen. The casually amused grin that split his face even wider confirmed Tristan's realization. In disbelief, he asked, "What kind of a person are you, Zig? Your girlfriend—my best friend—is sitting in that theater, thinking that the two of you have something special. How can you put me in a position like this?"

"Because it's fun," he said with a dismissive shrug. The glee in his eyes was unmistakable. Playing with these kids took his mind off the crap he had waiting for him at home. "So, now it's up to you. Are you going to be a good friend, and protect your BFF from knowing that her boyfriend is kissing other boys—namely, you—or are you going to tell her that we're messing around, break her heart, and lose her friendship?"

"We're not messing around!" He protested.

"Sure," Zig said, "I just wonder if that's how Tori will see it."

Still in shock, Tristan watched Zig leave. The perverse sense of amusement his friend had found in carelessly playing with him disturbed Tristan, and he didn't know what to do. And, even worse, that had been Tristan's first kiss.

_What a way to remember your first kiss,_ he silently frowned.

"So, where did you disappear to earlier?" Tori asked as she took a bite of her veggie wrap.

After the movie, the three friends had headed down to the food court where they now ate their lunches. Zig, having already wolfed down his burger, was in high spirits as he sat with his arm wrapped around Tori while Tristan sat across from them, poking at the food on his plate as if he was sulking. He'd popped the collar on his shirt to hide the hickey Zig had given him.

Seriously, he just wanted to go home.

"Huh?" Tristan asked as he glanced up from his uneaten sandwich to see Zig allow a mocking trace of interest to show on the mask of his face. Only a hint of a grin was betrayed at one corner of the confident boy's mouth. Of course, Tori had no idea, but Tristan could suddenly see the emptiness in his green eyes. Tristan cursed Zig's smugness, and wanted to tell Tori that her boyfriend was an antisocial, closeted psychopath. He truly deserved to be exposed, but what about Tori? She really liked Zig. What would this do to her?

And even more importantly, who would she blame?

He was already quite sure of the answer to that question. Tori truly had a blind spot where it came to Zig Novak. He'd barely known the guy before the two them had started dating, but Tori had held a torch for him throughout junior high. Tristan had tried to get to know the guy, so he could see if he was interested in Tori, but he'd rebuffed his attempts at friendship. When he'd finally asked her out, Zig had made two years worth of longing seem worthwhile, and somehow full of meaning.

Well, enough so that she'd taken the guy back after he'd broken her heart, and ignored her all summer. Since Tristan realized that she would most likely choose the illusion of love over her BFF, he told her, "Oh, my stomach was upset. I puked in the bathroom. I didn't want to stumble around in the dark to get back in, so I stayed in the lobby."

"There was a little too much butter on that popcorn," she agreed without giving it too much thought. In a way, it served him right for intruding in on what should have been her private time alone with her boyfriend.

"Never trust movie theater popcorn," Zig agreed with a grin.

Tristan shot him an angry glare.

"Do you feel any better?" She asked, missing the exchange of looks from the two boys.

"Still looking directly at Zig, he replied, "I've lost my appetite."

The dark-haired teen frowned with mock compassion, and surmised, "In that case, you won't miss a few fries," before reaching into Tristan's plate to steal a handful of fries. When the pudgy boy curled his lip, Zig only grinned. Just to push further, he asked, "What are you doing with your collar standing straight up? Is that some fashion statement?"

Tristan's jaw dropped.

_What the hell is Zig's deal?_ He silently cursed. The guy knew damn well why he needed to hide his neck. Now Tori was staring at him too. He realized that Zig was doing this on purpose. Well, if he wanted to be forced out of the closet, Tristan wasn't going to be his pawn in his twisted plan. "I'm trying a new look," he lied.

"It doesn't look good on you," Tori told him.

"Tori is right," Zig added. Deepening his grin, he suggested, "You should lay it back down."

Tori agreed with Zig. Knowing that he had no choice, Tristan grinded his teeth with hesitation, and folded his collar back down, exposing the love bite Zig had given him. Although the grin never left Zig's face, Tori furrowed her brow, and asked, "What's that on your neck?"

"It looks like a hickey," Zig said, feeling the amusement rising in him while he kept an innocent tone in his voice. The look fell off Tristan's face, and Zig nearly lost it. This was too funny.

"Do you have a hickey?" Tori cried. Her eyes widened in surprise as he tried to cover it. "OMG, Tristan! When did that happen?"

"Is that why you never returned from the bathroom?" Zig asked, trying to match his girlfriend's sound of surprise, and lead her to make a conclusion.

"Did you hook up with some random guy, Tristan?" She asked. Having had Zig plant the idea that it had happened in the bathroom, her voice had taken on an underlying tone of disgust. "In a public men's room, Tristan? Really?"

Zig frowned with faux concern, and Tristan felt his blood boil. He wanted to tell Tori that her boyfriend was gay, and it was Zig who'd jumped him, sucking his neck until it had a big, embarrassing hickey on it. He wanted to tell her that her boyfriend had offered to give him head too, but he refrained because she'd surely think he was lying. He couldn't believe that he'd ever wanted to be friends with Zig. "I wasn't waiting in hopes of meeting guys in the men's room!" He explained instead.

Putting the phony tone of concern into his voice, Zig told him, "You should be more careful, man. You never know what might happen in a situation like that. Tori and I wouldn't want to see something bad happen to you."

If Tristan was enraged by Zig's remark, he was mortified when Tori looked at her boyfriend as if he was a sweet, caring guy looking out for a friend. He really wanted to tell her that Zig was a closeted creep playing head games with both of them, but he had only accusations without proof. Instead, he turned his anger where it belonged, and told the dark-haired sociopath, "Go to hell, Zig."

Tristan got up, and stormed off. Tori looked shocked. Although it had been one of two reactions Zig had expected, he feigned surprise too, and asked, "Was it something I said?"

Wednesday of the following week, Tori and Tristan stopped by the skate park while Zig was skating with several of his friends. He kept looking around in hopes of seeing his friend, Cutter, but so far he was nowhere to be seen. Zig hoped that the older teen would show up, and the two of them could sneak away somewhere so that they could fuck again. His ass had throbbed for days after their last encounter, bringing a smile to his face every time he'd sat down. He knew that it was probably fucked up to enjoy the pain, but he did. Like Eli had pointed out: pain was one of the only reminders that he was truly alive. Of course, seeing his girlfriend show up, Zig abandoned this afternoon's hopes of another steamy session with the dirty blonde skater.

_Too bad_, he frowned.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" He asked, skating over to them. He kissed Tori before shifting his gaze over to her husky BFF. Tristan's eyes bulged as if he was afraid Zig might kiss him too, cracking a grin on the skater's face. Instead, Zig extended his hand, and gave him a fist bump. Naturally, Tristan was awkward at it, and Zig laughed. Actually, Zig was surprised that the ginger-haired teenager had even accompanied his friend here. Tristan had remained frosty since Saturday, but Zig acted like there was nothing wrong. Zig could tell that he'd had something on his mind the few times that the two of them had been together without Tori around, but he'd never spoken up. It amused Zig because he was sure that Tristan was tormenting himself on how to handle the situation.

"We were bored hanging out at Tristan's, and thought we'd see what you're up to," Tori explained. "Do you want to hang out at The Dot?"

"Can't," he shrugged, "I'm learning some new moves from a couple of the guys."

Tori frowned. "Oh," she said, "I figured you'd want to spend a little time with your girlfriend, but I guess you'd rather get sweaty with the guys."

Zig wanted to tell her, _Got that right_, but he didn't. Instead he kept his face expressionless.

When Tristan cracked up, Tori glared at him. "Sorry," he muttered.

Without waiting for Zig to respond, Tori walked away. Tristan seemed as if he was considering what to do when Zig cracked a grin. Afraid of what the dark-haired skateboarder might say or do, Tristan quickly took off after her. Zig frowned, wondering if he'd pushed her too hard.

Suddenly, one of the skaters yelled, "Hey, Novak, are you going to go, or what?"

Zig looked back at his friends to see one of them flip his board as he flew through the air. The teen landed on it without falling before grinding to a halt. It looked like a great trick, but his mind really wasn't on skating. Looking around, Zig still couldn't see Cutter anywhere.

He frowned.

"Hey, Kenny, where's Cutter at?" He asked as one of his friends passed by.

"Who?" The other boy asked. When Zig described him, Kenny remembered, and told him, "Oh, that guy hasn't been around all week."

Zig frowned again. What if Cutter hadn't been around because he regretted having had sex with Zig? What if he just never came back? Zig desperately wanted to see the older boy again. Suddenly, the skate park lost its appeal. Maybe he should have gone with Tori after all. At least he could have had fun messing with Tristan's head. Of course, it wasn't too late to join them. Without bothering to say good-bye to anyone, Zig grabbed his board and backpack before he took off.

When Zig got to The Dot, he saw Tristan sitting alone. He went in, and sat down with him. Of course, the guy practically ignored him, but that had been expected. Zig was amused to see how steadily Tristan held his grudge. Looking around, he asked, "Is Tori in the bathroom?"

Tristan started blankly at him, and said, "She went home. I guess she didn't appreciate being blown off by her boyfriend." There was a flat tone in his bitchy voice that should have subliminally told the handsome teenager to leave him alone. He hoped Zig would just get up and leave.

No such luck.

"Her loss is your gain," Zig told him instead. His face broke into a grin. When Tristan rolled his eyes and shook his head, Zig let his grin fade, as if hurt. "Why don't you like me, man?"

"Why should I?" The pudgy teen asked. "You made me look like a total sleaze ball at the movies on Saturday. And, I know you did it on purpose."

"I was just being funny," Zig shrugged. "Besides, you could have told Tori that I was the one that gave you that hickey."

"You know that would have messed up my friendship with her," Tristan whined. "If you want her to know that you're gay, I'll help you break the news to her—"

"I have nothing to tell her," Zig said, casually.

"Dude, you're gay!" Tristan cried.

"Keep it down," Zig told him, intentionally putting the sound of terror in his voice. Still hoping to play with the other boy's emotions, he told him, "My life is confusing, Tristan. You, of all people, should have compassion."

Tristan's expression sank. As part of the LGBT club, he knew that he should have more sympathy for a kid struggling with his sexuality. Sure, Tristan had never felt the pressure to blend, but maybe Zig did. Feeling sympathy for the guy, his anger softened. "Sorry," he muttered.

Zig laughed, and told him, "Just messing with you, man."

Looking into Zig's amused green eyes, Tristan's face burned with humiliation for having fallen for the routine. Zig Novak might be a beautiful face, but there was nothing human behind it. Everything the guy did was for some kind of personal amusement. It was as if he was a toy in the overgrown child's toy box instead of a friend or peer. This was just another one of Zig's games, and Tristan knew that by playing with him, he'd only end up the loser.

"What's the deal, Zig?" Tristan asked, already tired of the game, but still unable to just turn away. With a disapproving curl of his lip he told him, "Normal kids struggle with coming out, but you're acting like this is just a big joke."

"I'm not trying to come out, Tristan," Zig said.

"But you're gay," Tristan said. "You have to."

"I don't have to do anything," Zig replied with a strong sound of warning in his voice.

Tristan pursed his lips, and told him, "It's not fair for you to lead Tori on."

"Have you met my friend, Adam?" Zig asked, acting as if he hadn't heard the other boy's accusation. "He's really cool, and he's in LGBT club."

Of course, Tristan had seen Adam Torres. He did a popular radio show during lunch with another upperclassman. He also remembered having seen Zig check Adam out a week earlier. He wondered if Zig had messed around with Adam too. "So?" He asked, instead of asking the question actually on his mind.

"He's cute, you should ask him out," Zig suggested.

Although he was ready to argue with the guy, Tristan figured it wasn't worth it. Zig definitely had his own agenda, and this game had to be part of it. Honestly, Tristan was curious, but knew that, whatever he was up to, it wouldn't be good news for him. Instead of playing into the good-looking kid's head game, he simply said, "Maybe. Anyway, I should get going."

"Cool," Zig said, getting up too. "Are we going to your house? I've been looking forward to hanging out in your room without Tori in our way. Your parents will give us a little privacy, right?"

The suggestive grin that crept across the dark-haired teen's sent a tingle down Tristan's spine. He knew this was Zig's way of trying to say that he wanted to have sex with him. If he'd allowed it, Tristan was certain that Zig would have given him head in the stall at the theater. The casual way he'd approached it, Tristan was pretty certain that Zig had given head to other boys in the past. Hell, as a good-looking guy, he'd probably done a lot more than just that. Tristan, on the other hand, was a virgin. And, for now, he planned on staying that way.

"I'm going home alone, Zig," Tristan said with aggravation. Although he was tempted to see how far Zig was willing to go, Tristan had no intention of allowing his best friend's closeted boyfriend into his bedroom without her there too. "You should just go home too, Zig. It is getting pretty late."

Without waiting for Zig's response, Tristan left. Furrowing his brow, Zig shook his head. In a way, he was happy that Tristan had turned him down. Having missed Cutter skating earlier had left him pretty horny. The last thing he wanted was to actually have sex with Tristan. At the theater, Zig knew that the ginger teen would deny him. It had made gamble safe.

Still, Zig would not have backed down.

With a frown, he realized that, since he'd already blown off the guys at the skate park, he had no one left to entertain him. Suddenly, Zig has a flash of inspiration, and pulled out his phone. When Tori picked up, he put concern into the tone of his voice, and said, "Tori? Where are you? I came by The Dot looking for you, but Tristan said you left, really mad at me. He said you called me a jerk."

"What's he talking about?" She asked, fuming at her friend for having exaggerated her displeasure. "I wasn't happy you blew me off, but whatever. I sure didn't call you a jerk."

"So, then, you don't mind if I come by?" He asked, putting a hint of roguish charm into his voice.

Just hearing her boyfriend's voice, Tori imagined his charming grin, and her face broke into one of her own. She could never stay mad at Zig—even when he'd broken his heart at the beginning of summer. "I don't mind, but don't you need to get home for dinner?" She asked.

"My parents are spending the night with friends, so I'm on my own," he lied. Having hoped for another late afternoon at the skate park, Zig had already told his mother that he had a school game to go to. With his girlfriend on the Power Squad, he'd used this excuse a number of times.

"If you want to come over," she said, "I'm sure my parents will let you study with me."

Zig frowned, considering his options. Although he'd still rather spend his time in the pipe with Cutter, hanging out with Tori would still be more entertaining than spending the evening at home with his parents. Besides, he had an idea that he figured would turn out to be great fun. Trying to sound vulnerable, he told her, "I'd like that. I was talking with Tristan. He said something that troubled me, and I think he's lonely. Anyway, I'll tell you more when I get there."

He hopped up, and started walking to the door. Just as he left, Eli and Adam's brother, Drew, came in. Recognizing Zig, Eli grinned, and said hello before introducing Drew to him. Truth be told, Zig was more than just a little jealous of the older Torres brother. Eli Goldsworthy was a major catch, and Drew was fucking him. Toward the end of the first week of school, there had been some kind of major drama, and the two boys, very publicly, came out of the closet together. As badly as Zig had wanted to know more about the whole situation, he had been reluctant to ask Adam too many questions. The older boy was perceptive, and would probably realize that he was hiding a secret himself.

Although he briefly flirted with the idea of sticking around, Zig left as he'd originally intended. Outside, he hopped on his board, and started toward Tori's house. With Drew and Eli still on his mind, Zig wished that he was on his way to see Cutter instead. Ever since his encounter with Cutter, Zig had realized that he was more attracted to other guys than girls. Being as private as he was, it was really hard for him. Guys like Adam and Tristan might be open about who they were, but Zig knew that there were people out there waiting to exploit any weakness he showed. From what he understood, Eli and Drew had been forced out. Zig would probably have to be forced out in the end too because he was such a private person.

Arriving at Tori's house, Zig ran his fingers through his floppy hair before ringing the doorbell. It didn't take her mother long to answer the door, and invite him in. Although Tori had most likely cried on her shoulder at the beginning of summer, the woman seemed to like Zig well enough. With parents, he came off as the exact kind of clean cut guy a parent would want their daughter to date.

_If they only knew_, he mused privately.

"I'm meeting up with Tori to study," he explained, keeping his mask tightly in place. With a shy smile, he added, "I hope she told you."

"Of course," the woman smiled. "She's in her room. Head on up."

Slightly surprised, Zig simply nodded. "Thanks," he said as he started for the stairs. Where most guys his age liked to project a bad-boy image, Zig was more pleased that Tori's mother saw him as the kind of guy she wouldn't mind allowing into her daughter's bedroom. Amused, he wondered how the woman would treat him if she knew about the head games he was playing with her daughter. Tori's door was open, and she was sitting on the edge of her bed, reading from her Civics book when he came around the corner.

_Show time_, he mused to himself.

Smiling in his innocent way, Zig knocked on the frame of the doorway. "Your mom said I could come up," he told her when she looked up. Without waiting, he walked in.

Tori hopped up, and hugged him, but he remained stiff in her arms. Noticing the tension in his posture, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he told her, sounding as if he was lying badly.

"Zig, seriously, what is it?" She asked, sounding even more concerned.

"Tori—it's embarrassing," he said with the sound of hesitation heavy in his voice. He made himself blush before adding, "I was just at The Dot with Tristan."

"What did he say?" She asked, rolling her eyes. He might be her best friend, but sometimes he could be a bit much to handle. Tori still remembered how, after Zig had broken up with her, Tristan had spent hours upon hours of badmouthing the guy. He brought it up again when they got back together, asking if she really wanted to give Zig another chance to hurt her.

"It wasn't what he said…" he mumbled before trailing off.

"What, Zig?" She asked.

Zig grimaced. "I don't want to start something," he told her, very reluctantly. "I like hanging with Tristan—I really do. And I don't think he meant anything by it…"

Suddenly, she felt cold. Tori knew Tristan had once thought Zig wasn't good enough for her, but perhaps it was because he had an unhealthy crush on him. It had been Tristan's suggestion that the three of them bond as friends. The idea of Tristan lusting over her boyfriend made her skin crawl.

"What did he do?" She demanded. He looked at the floor, and she furrowed her brow. "Zig, tell me! What the hell did Tristan do?"

"Tori, it's really embarrassing," he said, still sounding too ashamed to explain. He looked like he was going to cry, so she took hold of his hand. Knowing that she was hanging on his every word at this point, he wanted to laugh. His voice cracking, he shamefully told her, "Tristan put a move on me."

A look of disgust washed over her face, and she cried, "What a perv! What did he do?"

Although he couldn't relate to Tristan's campiness, Zig did understand his attraction to other guys. Hearing Tori call him a pervert just because he found another guy attractive annoyed him. He'd heard her make a number of off handed homophobic remarks, and he thought she was a two faced hypocrite. It made Zig feel even less guilty about playing his head games. He really didn't need to justify himself anyway. Like his other friends, Tori was really nothing more a toy to be played with.

"I don't want to start anything," he mumbled, biting his tongue on what he really wanted to say to her. Trying to sound sympathetic, Zig explained, "I don't blame him or anything. I just think he's lonely, and probably jealous of what we've got."

Tori pulled him close. "You're such a good person, Zig," she told him. Again the thought of Tristan hitting on her sexy boyfriend crept into her mind. With a look of disgust washing over her face, she muttered, "I can't believe Tristan is such a pervert."

Again he contained himself.

"I felt bad for him. And, don't say I said anything to you. I don't want to embarrass him," Zig told her, showing the compassion she herself lacked. Setting the next move in motion, he suggested, "I think Tristan needs a boyfriend. I'm friends with this junior named Adam Torres. He's really cool, and in the LGBT club at school. I think he'd really hit it off with Tristan. We should set them up on a date."

"You want to play gay matchmaker for a guy that's crushing on you?" She asked in disbelief.

"The four of us could double date," he explained. Zig had put an encouraging tone into his voice, hoping that she'd agree. Although he really didn't care about seeing Tristan get a boyfriend, Zig did want to spend more time around Adam Torres. Sure, he'd officially be Tristan's date, but Zig would have his chance to interact with him too. Unlike Tristan, Adam was the kind of guy Zig could relate to. He really wanted to know more about his life.

"That does sound cool," she said, trying to brush off Tristan's attempted betrayal. Of course, she'd been afraid of Maya stealing Zig, but never dreamed that it would be Tristan that tried.

"You should suggest it to Tristan," he told her. "If I say something, he'll probably think it was because of what happened at The Dot. If you do, it will just look like a friend doing something nice for another friend."

"Okay," she agreed, leaning in and kissing him. Giggling, the pretty brunette got up, and hopped over to the door. After a quick glance out into the hall, Tori closed the door, returned, and sat back down on the bed next to him. "Now, where were we?"

As she started kissing him again, Zig pulled back from her, nervously asking, "What about your mother? She's going to notice that the door is closed."

"Scared?" She teased.

"I don't want to get you in trouble," he lied.

She looked at him, and assumed that he was just being shy. She'd watched the way some of the guys pressured her friends, and talk about the things they did with them. It was gross, and she was relieved that Zig wasn't like that. First off, he was very polite. So far, they'd kissed and held hands, but that was about it. He even kept his hands to himself when they went to the theater. As far as she knew, Zig was shy with most of his friends. He wasn't the kind of boy who'd boast.

"We aren't going to get in trouble," she promised, pressing her lips to his. She pushed him down on her bed, kissing him even harder. As she did, he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed back. Just as he had with Tristan, Zig moved him mouth to Tori's neck. Without thinking, Zig started biting.

"Hey," she cried, "You're going to give me a hickey!"

"Uh, sorry," he muttered, moving back up to her mouth. Continuing to kiss his girlfriend, Zig remembered Cutter's sweet lips. Slowly, he moved his right hand down her stomach, and into the waist of her jeans.

Shocked, she pulled back, and cried, "What the hell, Zig?"

Horror filled his eyes as he realized what he'd done, and he immediately told her, "I'm so sorry, Tori. I don't know what came over me."

"I'm not ready to have sex, Zig," she told him. She realized that, after what Tristan had done to him, proving his masculinity must be pretty high on his mind. As quickly as he'd pulled back, Tori figured that he'd been embarrassed, and hoped that she hadn't hurt his feelings.

Getting up, he moved back a few paces, and told her, "I should really get going. My parents are probably wondering where I am." Of course they were not, but he wanted to be anywhere but here right now. Before she could really argue, he grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.

On his way home, Zig decided to go by the skate park. Sure it was late, but he really felt alone at the moment, and he'd give anything to be around someone he connected with. Zig had never really been friends with her before they'd started dating. Maya seemed more real, and, in a way, he wished that he'd pursued her instead of getting back together with Tori. Frowning, he realized that it wouldn't have made a difference because he'd started playing his head games with her too. Zig figured he'd probably be just as bored dating her.

Looking up from his thoughts, Zig saw one lone kid sitting on a bench in the park. His heart skipped a beat and a flash of anticipation washed over him. His hopes were realized as he got closer and saw that it was Cutter. Unlike either of the girls vying for his attention, the dirty blonde skateboarder did hold his interest. Since his encounter with Cutter, Zig had only been hot for other boys.

Cutter saw Zig, and hopped up off the bench. The grin on his face betrayed his pleasure in seeing him. Smiling himself, Zig said, "Hey, man. I haven't seen you around."

"I got grounded for showing up so late the night we got together," he explained.

Zig chuckled, and told him, "I hope that wasn't my fault."

Cutter grinned, and replied, "It was worth it. My parents are pretty strict. Right wing Christians and all, so they don't really approve of a lot of the things I get mixed up in. Whatever. Let them think they're in control. Besides, I can still sneak out."

A wide grin cracked across Zig's face, and he asked, "Do you want to hang now?"

"It's dark out," he pointed out, "Won't your parents ground you, or something?"

Zig frowned. Instead of making up a lie, like he normally would, he explained, "What is it, Wednesday? That's Jack Daniels night at home, so, by now, my dad has probably passed out, and my mom has gone off to bed." When Cutter's expression flashed concern, Zig forced a grin, and said, "Its fine. It just means there's no one all over me about where I've been."

The other boy nodded, still wishing that his friend didn't have such a crappy home life. His parents could be self-absorbed too, but at least he knew that they cared. Instead of saying what he was thinking, he said, "So, last Friday, I cut the second half of the day, and I was in your neighborhood. You know that place, The Dot?"

Zig grinned, and answered, "Yeah, my friends and I hang there a lot."

"I know. I saw you with a couple other kids," he explained before asking, "So, was that chick your infamous girlfriend?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, rolling his eyes. Zig surmised that it had probably been before the three of them had gone to the movies. Curious to get to know Cutter better too, Zig asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Nodding he told him, "Yeah. Gina. She's a cheerleader at school."

Zig laughed, and said, "Tori is on Degrassi's Power Squad too. They've probably cheered against each other at games, and never even knew it."

"Probably," the older boy agreed with a laugh. Without thinking, he asked, "So, do you and Tori… you know?"

Looking aghast, Zig replied, "Oh god no." he didn't know why, but Zig found it important to let the other teen know that he found the idea of sex with Tori distasteful. Cutter grinned, and echoed back the same sentiment. Feeling brave, Zig told him, "We kiss and stuff, but you're the only person I've had sex with."

Cutter's eye sparkled, pleased in that knowledge. Sheepishly, he confessed, "It wasn't my first time, but, dude; I've never enjoyed it quite like I did with you. It's been so hard not telling anyone because I think…"

When Cutter trailed off, Zig realized that the other boy had real feelings for him. As badly as he wanted to tell himself that his interest in Cutter was purely physical, Zig knew that wasn't true. For days after their first encounter, Zig had avoided the skate park, fearing Cutter's rejection. Still, Zig wasn't ready to bare his soul, so he said nothing.

"So, who was the flamer with you guys?" The other boy asked, changing the subject.

Zig rolled his eyes, and told him, "Her best friend, Tristan. He's pretty out there."

"Does he know about you?" Cutter asked, furrowing his brow with what Zig assumed was jealousy. As he dismissively shrugged, the look on Zig's face betrayed how distasteful he found the ginger teen. Of course, Cutter was left looking still curious after Zig's ambiguous response. When a perverse looking grin quickly cracked Zig's face, the older boy asked, "What?"

"A few weeks ago, he caught me checking out this guy from school while we were at lunch," Zig explained before adding, "Since then, I've been fucking with his head. He wants to hang out with me and Tori, so I've started flirting with him to see if I can make him uncomfortable. I know he doesn't have the balls to tell her, so it makes it all the more fun for me."

As Zig explained the details of the games he'd been playing with Tori, Tristan, and Maya, Cutter couldn't help but laugh. Of course, he already liked Zig's personality. And the dark-haired teen was sexy as hell. Hearing the twisted games he was playing with his peers' emotions, however, only added to the draw. Obviously, Zig was as fucked up as he was, if not more.

"What are you going to do if this blows up in your face?" he asked. Cutter would be too scared to play games like that with the threat of his parents looming over him. They'd send him off to straight camp followed by military school if they ever found out that he was messing around with other guys.

"It's all part of the fun," Zig shrugged, surprisingly unconcerned with getting caught. "Dude, I gave him a hickey, and he let her think he'd hooked up with some random weirdo in a bathroom instead of busting me. I think it's more likely that Maya is going to spill the beans on me before he does."

"Man, a guy could really fall for you," he mumbled, embarrassed to admit how attracted to him he really was. It was all he could do right now to keep his hands off the dark-haired beauty.

Of course, Zig had heard his friend's remark, and wondered exactly what he meant. Not sure if he was ready to change his life, he pretended to not understand his meaning. Interested in knowing more about his friend; the younger boy asked, "So, _Cutter_—that's a nickname, right?"

The older boy nodded, and explained, "My real name is Louis, but it never really suited me."

"I agree," Zig said. "It's an ordinary name, and you're anything except ordinary." Cutter grinned, and Zig asked, "So, then, where did _Cutter_ come from?"

Sheepishly, the dirty blonde skater grinned, peaking Zig's interest. "When I was a freshman, over at your school," he started, "I was totally emo. I dyed my hair blacker than yours, and combed it into my eyes. I wore skinny jeans, and _Dead Kennedy_ t-shirts with silver studded bracelets."

"I bet you made a hot emo," Zig said, imagining how he must have looked in snug fitting skinny jeans.

Cutter laughed. Pulling the sleeve up on shirt, the older boy showed Zig the healed up scars from where he'd once cut himself. Reaching out, Zig gently touched the row of scars. Feeling Zig's touch, Cutter bit his lower lip, and looked into his eyes.

"You did this to yourself?" He asked. When Cutter nodded, he asked, "Why?"

Cutter shrugged.

"Were you trying to kill yourself?" He asked. Zig remembered a shy kid from eighth grade who had hung himself in his closet during Christmas break. Although he'd barely known the guy, it had bothered him to know that killing himself had been easier than talking to someone. It had seemed so foreign to him because he hated sharing his thoughts with people. Of course, he knew that the way he isolated himself was just another way he wasn't normal. Although he couldn't relate, he swore he would have been there if it had been his blonde lover suffering. It really bothered him to think of Cutter having been suicidal. Muttering his private thoughts, he added, "I hope not."

"No. It was more about attention," the older boy explained. "The other outsiders were impressed, but no one that mattered cared."

Zig nodded, but, fearing he'd sound like he was in love, said nothing. Regardless of his silence, his eyes betrayed him. Cutter could see it, and Zig flashed a sheepish grin. "I would have cared," he finally whispered. _So what if the guy realizes how much I like him?_

"That's sweet," he said, flashing a grin back at his friend. Playfully, he gave Zig's shoulder a gentle shove. "Besides, it distracted me from all the shit I had going on."

Blushing, Zig compassionately told him, "I know what that's like. Do you still cut yourself?"

"Gave it up when I started hanging out with skaters," he said. He reached over, gently brushing the hair out of Zig's face. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

Looking into his eyes, Zig couldn't help himself, and leaned in to kiss him. He slipped his hand up under Cutter's shirt, gently caressing his stomach. As he moved his hand up to his chest, the older boy's excitement grew, and he shoved his tongue into Zig's mouth.

Suddenly, the blare of a car's horn rang out, and both teens looked up in fear of having been seen. Remembering where they were, Zig pulled away, and asked, "Should we go into the pipe? I really want to blow you this time before you fuck me."

Cutter grinned, and grabbed hold of his hand, leading the way as they sprinted into the giant cement pipe. Once they knew they were safe from prying eyes, they started kissing again. Zig peeled Cutter's shirt off, and discarded it to the floor before going for his belt. Within seconds, the older boy's pants were around his ankles, and his erect penis was at it Zig's eager lips. His green eyes glanced up at Cutter, making contact just before he lunged forward on it. Remembering how his friend had wrapped his tongue around the head of his penis, Zig mimicked the move with his own tongue. After a moment of working the head, Zig felt confident enough to engulf the full length of it.

He knew he'd done well when Cutter let out a moan of approval. Slowly, he caressed the other boy's chest as he worked it in and out of his mouth. Cutter reached down, pulling at Zig's shirt. Without removing the penis from his mouth, the younger boy let his friend pull it up on his body. Once he had it ready to remove, Zig let go of Cutter's member, but only long enough to get the shirt over his head. As soon as he was free of it, Zig shoved Cutter's penis right back into his mouth.

After several minutes, Cutter gently pushed him off, and said, "Zig, I want to fuck you again."

Looking up at him, the younger teen admitted, "I don't want to stop."

Cutter grinned, slapped his penis across Zig's mouth before pushing it back in. For the next several minutes Zig slowly increased his speed, rushing his lover closer and closer to his orgasm. Cutter let go, and enjoyed the ride. When he couldn't hold it any longer, he let out a moan, and exploded in Zig's mouth. Having been caught off guard, Cutter's semen gushed out over his chin, and down his neck. Chuckling with euphoria, Cutter pulled himself out of Zig's mouth, and looked down at him.

Nearly whispering, he asked, "Man, are you sure that was your first time? I've never felt that good in my life." Gazing into his lover's intense green eyes, the older teen stroked his hair lovingly. He reminded Cutter of a puppy dog, hoping for his master's approval. Seeing his sperm all over Zig's ruby-red lips and soft chin, Cutter grinned, causing the other boy to grin in return. Rubbing his penis over Zig's lips and chin, the blonde skater collected the cooling spunk on the head of it. Realizing what his friend had done, Zig leaned in, and put the head back into his mouth before sucking the sperm off it. Cutter's eyes widened, pleased to see how badly Zig wanted him.

Overcome by the desire of wanting more, Zig grabbed the other teen's ass, preventing him from pulling away, and buried his face against his stomach. After kissing Cutter's belly, Zig muttered, "God, Cutter."

"You were incredible, Zig," the older boy said, stroking through his floppy dark hair before adding, "I love you."

He'd nearly said the same thing, and was now tempted to echo it back, but he refrained, instead kissing his belly one more time before standing up to kiss the boy on his mouth. Zig looked him in the eyes wondering if Cutter really did love him, or if he was just caught up in the passion. It didn't matter anyway. The two teens lived separate lives, at separate schools. They both had girlfriends, and they were both too concerned with their reputations. All they had together were stolen moments, like this, in the dark. He wanted to remind Cutter of all that, but he didn't. Instead, he smiled, and kissed his neck.

Grinning wide, the younger teen said, "Prove it," as he gently tugged at Cutter's hips to turn him around. Aware of what Zig wanted, Cutter was quick to obey. Meanwhile, Zig unfastened his belt, and kicked off his pants. His heart was pounding as he gently ran his fingers up the crack of his friend's ass.

"Spit on my hole before you put it in," the older boy instructed. "It will make it go in easier."

Following the instructions, Zig crouched down, pushed his face close to Cutter's ass, and spit on him. Using his tongue, he licked Cutter's ass, moving the spit around.

"Shit, Zig," the older boy moaned in disbelief. "I didn't expect you to eat me out."

Suddenly embarrassed, Zig blushed. He was pretty into this guy, but thinking about what he was actually doing was kind of gross. Still, it was an experience, so Zig could justify himself, and let it roll off his back. Slapping Cutter's cheek, Zig laughed as he told him, "Shut up, dude, and fucking enjoy it."

Getting back on his feet, the dark-haired teen lined up his penis with Cutter's asshole, and thrust slowly forward. It was tighter than he'd expected, and Cutter's body quiver beneath him as he slowly pushed himself deeper and deeper in. Remembering how vulnerable he'd felt when Cutter had first penetrated him, Zig wrapped his arms around him, and pulled his body up to meet him until his ass was right up against his pelvis.

"How does it feel?" Zig asked.

"Awesome, man," Cutter moaned before telling him, "Now pound me!"

Zig laughed, and started pumping himself in and out, slamming hard against him each time before pulling out again. He grunted loud as Cutter moaned for him to fuck harder. When he couldn't hold himself any longer, Zig shoved himself really hard into the other boy and released. Cutter joined Zig when he moaned at the top of his lungs. When the younger boy pulled out, Cutter quickly turned around, and started kissing him.

"Your turn," Zig cried.

Cutter grinned, and told him, "Since you were a virgin, I went easy on you last time."

"Pound me hard as you can," Zig told him. "I can take it."

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into," Cutter said, kissing Zig one last time.

"Me too," he laughed. If he'd had a hard time sitting for three days when Cutter was being gentle, he could barely imagine how this would be. Zig turned around, and, glancing over his shoulder, told him, "And while you're back there, don't forget you owe me."

Cutter laughed, but spit into his hand instead. Without waiting, Cutter drove himself deep into Zig. It had been unexpected, and the younger boy cried out. Although Cutter quickly apologized, Zig only laughed, telling him not to stop.

CHAPTER 4

Friday night, only two days after his last encounter with his friend from the skate park, freshman, Zig Novak, walked into The Dot, ready for his double date with Tori, Tristan, and—most importantly—Adam Torres. His ass still hurt, as it had the time before, but the dull pain brought a smirk to his face every time he thought back to how it had happened. Just as he'd planned, Tori had approached the junior on behalf of a secret admirer, and Adam had taken the bait. Sure, Tristan was his prize, but Zig gambled that Adam Torres was too polite to take a look at him and just leave. Of course, Zig wasn't as concerned with his ginger friend enjoying himself, but getting to know Adam better himself.

The date turned out to be very short, however, when Adam revealed that he was not gay, but actually straight, and a transgender guy. After Tori chased off after a humiliated Tristan, Zig sat down at the counter with Adam, and absorbed the fact that for the past month he'd been fantasizing about a guy that really wasn't a guy.

Well, not in the classic sense.

In fact, Adam was more guy than a lot of the guys Zig knew. The unfortunate part was the fact that he didn't have a penis. Although he knew Tori would be pissed that he hadn't followed her, Zig could see that his older friend was troubled too. When he asked Adam what was wrong, he simply said that this was humiliating.

"I feel so bad about all this," Zig muttered, allowing his true emotions to surface. Adam looked at him with curiosity, and he confessed, "I set this all up."

Adam furrowed his brow in confusion, and asked, "Dude, why? I thought we were friends."

"I thought you were gay," the freshman said before reluctantly adding, "And I'd hoped to get to know you better."

"Zig, we talk all the time," Adam told him, still missing the younger teen's hidden meaning. Zig bit his lower lip, and Adam finally read between the lines. "You wanted to go on a double date because you like me?"

Zig shrugged, trying to not reveal himself in his expression, but he failed.

"Zig, I had no idea," Adam said. Realizing that his friend knew, Zig suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He glanced at the door, as if thinking of bolting, so Adam told him, "I won't tell anyone, but I hope you know I'm into girls."

He shook his head, and muttered, "I know… now."

"I take it Tori doesn't know," Adam said with the sound of understanding in his voice.

He shook his head. "I'm not into labels," he explained, "I've always been curious about things, but Tristan was the only gay guy I really knew. I'm nothing like him, and—not to sound like a dick—he kinda grosses me out. When I met you, and you were wearing your rainbow pin, I thought—now there's a gay guy I can relate to. I don't want to label myself, or make a choice between guys and girls. I just hoped to get to know myself better by getting to know a guy I can relate to."

"Thanks," Adam chuckled before asking the more important question of, "You really had no idea I was trans?"

"None," Zig told him. "You seemed like a guy I'd have fun hanging with."

Adam smiled, happy to have passed for a guy. Concerned for his friend, he told Zig, "You know that you don't have to make a choice between guys and girls. My brother and best friend also like both genders. We have a few other bi kids in LGBT club. You should sit in on a meeting, and I can introduce you to a couple of them." Seeing that Zig didn't look too keen on that idea, he added, "Or not."

When Adam cracked a grin, Zig laughed too. "I'll think about it," Zig lied. "In the meantime, I hope we're still friends."

"Of course," Adam promised.

"Well, I'm going to go catch up with Tori and Tristan," he said. "See you in class Monday."

After calling Tori, Zig learned that she'd taken Tristan to the mall so that they could pick apart the less fashionable shoppers. Although he'd have rather have hit the skate park, Zig decided to meet up with the two of them. The mall had never been Zig's favorite place to hang out; however, he recognized dozens of faces from school. He caught up to his two friends on a bench just outside Forever 21, laughing at a pair of girls looking at blouses off one of the front racks. Although Tori smiled when she saw him, Tristan rolled his eyes.

Zig pretended not to notice. Instead, he kissed Tori and extended his fist to bump Tristan's. Not in the mood for Zig, the husky teen didn't bother to play along. Zig frowned. Tori could see the friction between the two, and tried to smooth things over with a couple jokes. Of course, that didn't make Tristan any happier. Although Zig often had an expressionless way about him, she knew that right now their friend needed some understanding.

"Tristan was really humiliated by Adam's rejection," she told her boyfriend, hoping for a show of compassion. Muttering as if it was an afterthought, she added, "It wasn't his fault."

"You're right. It's your fault," Tristan accused, lashing out at the brunette beauty. Although his whine had his typical _poor me_ undertone, his humiliation was even more apparent. With anger filling his usually catty glare, he unloaded on his best friend, telling her, "I only agreed to this whole thing because you pushed me."

Zig was happy he'd come, and wished that he had popcorn to watch the show with.

Pissed off that Tristan was blaming her for his crappy love life, Tori spat back, "Maybe I wouldn't have to try setting you up with guys if you'd do it for yourself, and leave my boyfriend alone!"

_Uh-oh!_ Zig thought to himself, suddenly concerned.

"What do you mean: leave your boyfriend alone?" The pudgy teen asked, narrowing his eyes to match his suspicious tone.

"Zig told me that you put a move on him, Tristan," she said. "He was too nice, and didn't even want to tell me, but it freaked him out. Zig suggested setting you up with Adam."

Suddenly, Tristan turned to glare at Zig. This guy was unbelievable. "You're the biggest psycho I've ever met!" He cried. "You set me up with that girl on purpose?"

"I totally thought Adam was a guy," Zig promised.

The ginger teen curled his lip to match the disgust in his glare, distrusting every word that came out of the other boy's mouth. Instead of calling him a liar, he shook his head, and asked, "Why don't you try telling Tori the truth, Zig?" Turning to his confused best friend, Tristan explained, "Your scumbag boyfriend has been hitting on me, sweetie. Every day, this faggot's hands are all over me, with all these gross remarks and offers. He's the weirdo from the bathroom that gave me that hickey. He offered to suck me off while you watched the movie. And I've watched him checking out other guys too."

Zig did his best to look horrified as Tristan continued listing off accusations. He should have been concerned by all the other kids staring at them, but he was more amused to see how angry Tristan was. He'd truly believed that the guy would never tell Tori about the things he'd done. Still, Tori was wrapped around his little finger, so she'd believe him over her best friend.

Or would she?

As Tristan continued to throw out instances where Zig had made him feel uncomfortable with different advances, Tori's expression slowly changed. "He offered to suck my cock in the bathroom, Tori!" Tristan told her again. "He was so casual about it. I'd bet it wouldn't have been his first time."

Tori could sense the honesty in her friend's tone. Tristan wasn't lying. Additionally, she thought of all the times Zig had been standoffish or prudish. She looked at the dark-haired teen with disgust in her eyes. It was true. Her beautiful boyfriend was a closeted perv.

"Tell me he's lying, Zig," she implored, wishing she was wrong.

"Of course, it's all lies," Zig promised dismissively. He moved to put his arm around her, but she pulled away from him. He put confusion in his expression, and asked, "You believe me, right?"

"Oh god, Zig," she cried, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

He laughed, still acting dismissively, and asked, "Are you really falling for this? We've been going out for more than a month."

"Tell me you're a virgin, Zig," she demanded. He hesitated, and she put her hand over her mouth. In disbelief, she asked, "You've sucked some nasty guy's cock, and then kissed me? You're sick, Zig. You're just sick!"

Offended, he shook his head, and told her, "You know, you're a hypocrite. Your best friend wants to do that—"

"But he's not my boyfriend!" She cried, again imagining Zig on his knees giving head to some other guy. Although their friend, Maya, was in the forming crowd, Tori didn't care. "Zig, you kissed me with the same lips you offered to wrap around Tristan's penis. That's plain grossed."

Tristan looked offended.

"No offense," she told the chunky ginger teen. Seeing the stunned look on Maya's face, she looked back at Zig, and told him, "You disgust me, and we're finished. Have fun with your boy toys, but stay away from me."

He curled his lip, ready to tell her what a boring girlfriend she'd been anyway, but changed his mind when he noticed all their peers around them. Even if they'd missed Tristan's tirade, all their peers had just heard her out him. Zig was not ashamed of who he was, however, his sex life was no one else's business.

"And we're not friends, either," Tristan told him, grabbing hold of Tori's arm. He looked back at her, happy to have all that off his chest, and said, "Come on, let's go," before walking away. Neither of them looked back as Zig was left standing alone.

A number of the other kids had started laughing, but Zig ignored them as he sat down on the bench. Although Maya looked concerned, he hoped she would leave him alone in his humiliation. As if she could see his reluctance, the blonde turned and left with several other kids. Knowing that he was alone, Zig frowned. He wondered if Adam had already made other plans. _Probably_. Or he could hit the skate park. Zig got up and started to leave. All the other kids were still watching him, but he put on a grin, and ignored them.

_Fuck them_, he thought to himself.

"Zig, no way! She said that shit in front of everyone?" Cutter asked, with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd already betrayed himself with the expression on his face, so his words could only try to mask the real reason behind his concern. _How could Zig have let this happen?_ This ruined everything.

Zig had thought that seeing his friend at the skate park would improve his mood, but, so far, it hadn't. He'd just told Cutter about his afternoon, and the guy had reacted like he told him that he had an infectious disease. Not the reaction he'd been hoping for. Feeling like a leper, Zig defended himself, saying, "Whatever, dude. My life is more complicated than some stupid label other people want to put on me. Those losers can think whatever they want."

Cutter just looked at him.

"What?" He asked.

"If everyone at school knows, then the kids we skate with are going to know too," he reasoned.

Zig shrugged, and told him, "I guess so. I don't care."

Again, Cutter just stared at him.

"Why do you have a problem with that?" Zig asked.

"If you're outed, I can't be friends with you," he explained with a deep frown. "Well, not in front of the other kids anyway."

"None of them will care," Zig told him. "And even if they do, why do you?"

Cutter hesitated before telling him, "My parents are psycho Christians. If they find out I'm skating with an openly gay kid—much less friends with him—they'll ban me from skating here. Trust me; if they knew about us, I'd wind up with electrodes wired up to my nards. At the very least, they'd ship me off to military school."

"Nice," Zig muttered, shaking his head, "A couple of homophobes have a gay son."

"I'm not gay," Cutter said quickly, his voice filled with fear. Thank god the two of them were alone, and no one had overheard Zig.

"I'm sorry," Zig said, with sarcasm in his tone, "My mistake. I guess I just got that impression from the times we fucked."

"Don't ever say that," he warned. "Someone could overhear."

Zig looked horrified, but his friend only looked away. "Cutter, you all but told me you loved me the last time we were together," he said reminding the other boy of the closeness the two of them shared. "Did it change that quickly?"

"Nothing has changed, Zig," the older teen promised. The tone in his voice was serious as he reminded him, "And I did tell you I loved you. It was you that wouldn't say it back, if you remember right. And, Zig, I do love you. It doesn't change the fact that it has to stay secret."

"I'm not asking you to tell your parents that we're together, dude," Zig told him. "I just need a friend, and don't want to lose you."

Cutter frowned. "I don't want to lose you either, Zig, but I can't be seen with you if everyone knows about you," he explained. "If it gets back to my parents—"

"I've already heard it," Zig growled, interrupting his nervous friend. He wondered if things would have been different if he'd been able to tell Cutter that he loved him back. He cursed himself for being so damaged. Looking into his friend's icy blue eyes, he asked, "So, that's it? We're just finished?"

The other boy shrugged, and told him, "We can be together when we're alone, but don't talk to me when there are other guys around."

"Whatever, man," Zig said, suddenly feeling like a sex toy.

Zig turned, and started to leave when Cutter put his hand out, stopping him. "Where are you going?" The older boy asked before pointing out, "We're alone. Don't you want to mess around?"

When he leaned in to kiss him, Zig moved back, and said, "I've got to get home."

Cutter furrowed his brow, and said, "Come on, Zig. You've got to understand where I'm coming from. I can't risk my parents finding out."

"I understand," he said. "I'm alone. I've always been alone, so this shouldn't surprise me."

"Zig," Cutter whined.

Without looking back, Zig muttered, "See you around."

CHAPTER 5

Zig Novak stood brushing his hair while frowning at his reflection in the mirror. All weekend he'd been dreading Monday morning, and going to back to Degrassi. Although he'd always felt alone, today he knew that he truly was. The self-righteous, albeit masochistic, side of him actually enjoyed the controversy because it would prove his point. He didn't care what the other kids thought. Still, it had really hurt that Cutter rejected him.

Whatever.

Zig didn't need him either. He didn't need any of them. They were all just toys for his amusement, so he'd find more. And when he chewed through them, he'd find even more. Over the weekend, Tori had changed her _Faceranger_ status to single. Along with Tristan, she'd left several nasty remarks back and forth on their pages, detailing how he'd been playing head games with them. Since several of his other friends had un-friended him, and commented on Tori or Tristan's page, Zig had already prepared himself for a day of stares whispered laughter. Naturally, he wasn't ashamed of himself, but it was the fact that everyone knew his business that bothered him.

"You're really dragging this morning," he heard from the doorway behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Zig's face betrayed nothing as he looked at his mother. "Shouldn't you have been out the door twenty minutes ago?"

"I'm always early," he said without even hinting at his apprehension. He didn't betray a shred of emotion when he casually added, "Tori is cheering tonight, so I figured I'll hang out and do my homework before going to the game."

She smiled, and shook her head. "You're such a good boyfriend," she said, knowing how little he enjoyed football. "I hope she appreciates the special guy she has."

"I'm sure she does," he lied. Of course, Zig knew his mother would probably hate him too if she ever found out about the games he played with his peers. Inside, he still didn't feel as if he'd done anything to regret. With the same expressionless face he told her, "I've got to run."

Zig ignored his peers as if he didn't notice their curious stares, and he made his way down the hall to first period art class. Seeing Adam Torres smile at him lightened Zig's mood. Knowing that he was transgender, and physically a girl, Zig hadn't fantasized about the guy all weekend, however, he really did appreciate the idea of having his friendship right now. Where Tristan, Cutter and Tori all wanted to label Zig, and put him in a box, Adam seemed much more open to the abstract.

"How are you hanging in there?" The upperclassman asked as Zig took his seat. Trying to smile casually, the freshman betrayed his own discomfort. He muttered something that the other boy couldn't fully understand, and Adam explained, "Sorry. Your girlfriend posted some pretty vicious things about you online. I just wanted to let you know I'm here."

"You want to know how much of its true," Zig surmised. He hadn't even tried to hide the bluntness in his voice. He was actually disappointed because he'd expected better from Adam. Granted, Zig knew that he had been intentionally insensitive in the way he'd treated his friends, but somehow he didn't feel as if he deserved it from Adam. He'd only been a friend to the guy. Of course, Tristan, Maya and Tori had only tried being friends to him too, so maybe he deserved it. The difference was that he'd never felt anything for them. They were just there. His connection to Adam had felt different.

"I don't care how much of its true," Adam said just as bluntly. He locked eyes with the confrontational freshman until he frowned, and muttered an apology. Softening his tone, Adam accepted the apology, and explained, "You're a cool guy, Zig. I know you're dealing with some heavy stuff, and Tori is just adding to it. Either way, I'm your friend."

"Thanks, man," Zig said, softening his tone too. Right now, Zig needed a friend. He was glad that the upperclassman was there for him. With another frown, he told the boy, "This was a hell of a weekend. I lost pretty much all my friends."

"Dawes is about to start class—and I don't feel like another detention—but we can talk at lunch," the older boy invited. "I'm doing my radio show, but Dave is out with the flu, so I'll be alone in the booth."

"I'd like that," Zig said.

As Mrs. Dawes started the class, a wicked idea started to formulate in Adam's mind. He'd been bothered by the fact that his brother had started dating his best friend, Eli, but, so far, he'd done nothing about it. Perhaps, with Zig's help, he could break the two of them up. It may be because out of his self denial, however, Adam figured that Zig had a few screws loose. He'd done nearly psychotic things to his closest friends, yet Zig showed little shame or remorse. Where Adam didn't condemn the guy for his actions, he did realize that Zig Novak had a very open view on what was right and wrong. He might be quite helpful in saving Drew from Eli.

Zig had to deal with more stares and snickers for the rest of the morning, so he fixed a wide grin on his face, and pretended that none of it bothered him. He shared math class with Tristan, but the husky teen stayed away from him as if he had the plague. That didn't bother him either. Since everyone already knew Tristan's gossip, the other kids did their best to avoid making eye contact with him. Any other kid would have felt like a leper, but not Zig. Seeing them all so uncomfortable actually warmed his heart. When he returned Tristan's scowl with a crooked grin, the other boy looked upset. Zig could only imagine the things that had to be going through his head.

Just before lunch, Zig had biology with Maya. He hadn't seen her since the mall where even she'd avoided him. Throughout class, he noticed that she kept glancing over at him. Although he did his best to not react to anyone's stares, he recognized the look of concern on her face, so he waited around after class. After everyone else had left for lunch, only Maya and Zig remained. He acted like he didn't see her as he stuffed his books into his backpack.

"Are you planning to ever tell me what you're up to?" She finally asked. He looked up to see her standing at the end of his desk. She still had that confused look of concern plastered across her face. He smiled to himself, thinking of how transparent all of them were with their emotions. When an empty-faced stare was his only response, she told him, "I thought we were friends."

"Are we?" He asked with only the slightest bit of bitterness betrayed in his tone. Still the mask of his face betrayed nothing.

"You acted that way, anyway," she corrected herself. Explaining, she said, "You had to be embarrassed after what happened at the mall. I would have needed a friend to talk to. I sat at home all weekend expecting a call from you."

"Why?" He asked. The hint of arrogance he'd put into his voice had been intentional. Zig was looking forward to hanging out with Adam, so waiting for Maya to rake him over the coals was already wearing thin on his nerves.

"Because we're friends, Zig!" she said, giving way to her frustration. "I swear you do this on purpose. I'm not going to beg to be here for you. I just thought you might need someone to talk to."

"I did talk to someone," he said with a matter-of-fact shrug. Both bitter enough to share, and hoping to shock her, he explained, "I talked to the guy that I thought was my boyfriend, and he rejected me."

"Wow," she muttered, trying to downplay her shock. "So it's all true? You're gay?"

"Why do all of you have to be so linear?" He asked. "Can't you just accept things without putting a label on them?"

"So, you're into both girls and guys?" She asked.

"I'm into doing what I want to do," he told her with aggravation creeping into his voice.

She furrowed her brow, and pursed her lips. "I take it that this boyfriend wasn't Tristan," she guessed. When he told her that it was a boy he'd met at the skate park, she filled in the blanks that she'd previously only guessed at, and reasoned, "So, you _were_ hitting on Tristan to fuck with his friendship with Tori. The same reason you kept flirting with me."

"You figured me out," he told her. There wasn't even a hint of remorse in his voice. "So are you going to tell me to fuck off like Tori and Tristan did?" he asked.

"Is that what you want, Zig?" She asked. "Do you want me to turn my back on you too? That way you can be the big, tough outsider. Just you against the world, huh?" Although there had been a hint of sarcasm in her tone, she increased it to a comical proportion, and added, "You're so cool, Zig. A real rebel."

The sarcasm in her voice cracked his mask, and he couldn't help but grin. "Looks like you figured me out," he told her with the sound of humor creeping into his tone. She laughed too. In his usually charming manner, Zig said, "I knew you could amuse me more than Tori. So, you don't totally hate me for playing games with you like that?"

"It did, when I first realized it," she confessed, casually, before adding, "But then when I stopped to think that you were playing the same game with Tristan, I started to laugh. That guy really bugs me."

Agreeing, Zig laughed with her.

"And, talk about balls," she laughed. "Tori emailed me, and practically ordered me to stop being your friend."

"And?" He asked curiously.

Laughing, she told him, "We're talking, aren't we?"

"Cool," he said with a grin. Happy to still have a couple friends left, he laughed.

She laughed too before saying, "So, sit with me at lunch and tell me about this hot skater boyfriend of yours. He is hot, right?"

"Hot as hell," the grinning freshman told her while thinking of Cutter's naked body. His happy expression faded, and he added, "But that's all over. I'll tell you about it, maybe at The Dot? Over a latte?"

"What?" she asked, "You don't want to sit with me at lunch?"

"I would," he started, "Even if it was just to piss Tori off, but I have plans to hang with Adam while he does his radio show."

"At the dot then," she said.

As Maya walked away, Zig couldn't help but smile. He realized that he was dreadfully fucked up, but a few people did care. Although on the surface, he appeared to be just another face in the crowd, Zig had always felt foreign to most of the normal kids at school. Tori was the most mainstream person he knew. And Tristan, even being different through his homosexuality, was pretty normal. Zig's place was with the outsiders—with kids like Maya, Adam, and his friend Eli.

His fun was just beginning.


End file.
